Interview with Dr. Hsi-Hsien Wei—Children Exceptional Reviewer 2026
To express our appreciation to our reviewers, the Children (ISSN 2227-9067) Editorial Office will announce its Exceptional Reviewers each month. You can find the list of award recipients here: https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/15639.
We would like to congratulate Dr. Hsi-Hsien Wei (Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital) on being included in this list. He also shared his professional perspectives on the current peer-review process.
The following is an interview with Dr. Hsi-Hsien Wei:
1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and your current research topic to our readers, as well as the important role of your research area in promoting children's health?
I am a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital in Taiwan. My clinical and research interests include pediatric HIV, infection prevention, and evidence synthesis. My current work examines HIV diagnosis and monitoring, the transition from pediatric to adult care, and long-term neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic outcomes in children with perinatal HIV infection or exposure. These questions matter because children need timely diagnosis, sustained care, and attention to outcomes beyond viral suppression.
2. What criteria do you consider most important when evaluating a manuscript? How do you view the role of a reviewer in shaping the quality and integrity of newly submitted research?
I first ask whether the research question is clear and whether the design, population, measurements, and analysis can answer it. I then examine potential bias, the transparency of reporting, and whether the conclusions stay within the limits of the data. In pediatric research, clinical relevance and appropriate attention to children’s circumstances are especially important. A reviewer should identify problems that affect validity, distinguish them from issues that can be corrected, and give authors specific, respectful suggestions.
3. What are your thoughts on the use of AI tools in the academic publishing industry, and what are your recommendations for ensuring quality control in the future?
AI tools can assist with tasks such as literature discovery, language editing, and consistency checks. Their output still requires verification: references, extracted data, statistical results, and clinical claims should be checked against reliable sources. Confidentiality is essential in peer review, and unpublished manuscript content or review communications must not be uploaded to generative AI tools. Publishers should provide clear policies and practical guidance, while authors, reviewers, and editors remain accountable for the scientific judgments they make.
4. What advice would you give to early career researchers who want to become strong peer reviewers? Or do you have any suggestions for the current peer-review process?
Begin with manuscripts close to your expertise and assess the methods before focusing on the writing. Prioritize comments that could change the interpretation of the results, explain why each concern matters, and offer a feasible path to address it. Be fair about both strengths and limitations and decline an invitation when you lack the time or relevant expertise. Clear reviewer guidance and feedback from editors can also help researchers improve their reviews over time.
If you are interested in reviewing new research, please contact the Children Editorial Office. You can also apply to become a volunteer reviewer via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/reviewers.
Children Editorial Office