HAVE YOU EVER BEEN PEER-REVIEWED BY KIDS?
Last year, thanks to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, we had one of the most unique publishing experiences of our careers.
We were invited to submit a paper to Frontiers for Young Minds (https://kids.frontiersin.org/), a scientific journal where articles are peer-reviewed by children. Yes, real kids!
So Anna Rising, Benjamin Schmuck, and I wrote and submitted a manuscript. Explaining your research to young readers is far from easy, especially when dealing with original scientific work. It forces you to rethink every concept from the ground up.
Why does it matter? What is the key idea? Can it be explained simply without losing scientific rigor?
And then came the reviews.
The peer-review process was genuinely challenging. The young reviewers raised sharp questions about our methods, the relevance of our approach, and the broader impact of the work. I was honestly surprised by the depth and clarity of many of their comments. Without exaggeration, some of the feedback was among the best reviewer comments I have ever received.
It was a truly nice experience, and I strongly encourage you to take a look at the paper: https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1767990/full
If you want to learn How Spider Silk Inspires Sustainable Clothing, check the paper out!
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