In the last year, more than 350 articles were submitted to the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society (JKNS). The editorial office of the JKNS investigated the records regarding who had participated as reviewers for the JKNS in 2020. From January 1 to November 12, a total of 582 requests to review articles were sent to 193 reviewers. Of these, 446 review requests were completed, corresponding to 76.6% of the total requests. The average duration of the first review was 10.5±4.8 days (Fig. 1). The reviewers were divided into two groups—those who completed the review request in 1–10 days were categorized as “fast reviewers,” while those who completed the review request after 10 days were categorized as “slow reviewers.” Group analyses revealed a trend in which the fast reviewers were requested to review more articles (3.2 articles/reviewer) than slow reviewers (2.7 articles/reviewer, independent t-test, P=0.052). However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding the numbers of review requests completed (2.5 articles in fast reviewers and 2.1 articles in slow reviewers, independent t-test, P=0.126).

Among the reviewers, those who reviewed a particularly large number of papers and faithfully commented on their requests were selected as the JKNS best reviewers in 2020 consistent with previously years [1]. We have introduced the reviewers below with our honor. The list is arranged in alphabetical according to the reviewers’ last names (Fig. 2).

Spine

Spine

Tumor

Pediatric

Neurotrauma

Stereotactic and functional

The JKNS, a journal with 49-years history since 1972, is being classified as an international journal thanks to the efforts of all of the members of the Korean Neurosurgical Society. The continuous increase in the impact factor of the JKNS speaks for itself. The Editor-in-Chief's passion is an important factor for the development of the journal. However, it cannot be obtained without the support of all the members of the editorial board, reviewers, contributors, and readers of the journal. Without the cooperation of all individuals mentioned above, the continuous progress of the JKNS could not be achieved [2].

In this regard, active member participation is critical for the development of the journal. Prompt and fair reviews and reviews that help to make up for shortcomings while reinforcing the novel and strong points of the manuscripts are of utmost importance for the development of the JKNS and the increase in its citations. In this sense, we are deeply grateful to those who have been identified as the best reviewers.