Letter regarding “The role of reviewers in the era of systematic reviews and meta-analysis: A practical guide for researchers”

This correspondence addresses three significant concerns regarding the current peer review process for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. First, while artificial intelligence tools can enhance language and readability, their implementation necessitates transparent disclosure and diligent human oversight, as AI-generated content may contain errors, fabricated references, or misleading interpretations. Second, an overreliance on text similarity reports may promote unnecessary paraphrasing of standardized methodological descriptions, leading to unclear or convoluted phrasing without enhancing scientific originality. Third, the verification of references has increasingly burdened reviewers due to inaccurate citations and repeated security barriers encountered during source verification, which further prolongs the review process and exacerbates reviewer fatigue. We contend that journals and publishers should enhance editorial screening, utilize responsible similarity and reference-checking tools, provide clearer guidelines for systematic review and meta-analysis methods sections, and improve access systems to facilitate efficient and reliable peer review.