Predicting Adherence to an Online Peer Review Course: A Logistic Regression Analysis

This study evaluates participation and completion rates for the COPPHA online peer review training course designed for African researchers and public health professionals. Of the 1,086 enrollees, 651 accessed the course, and 203 (31%) attained a certificate, exceeding typical MOOC completion rates. Logistic regression analysis identified gender as the only weakly significant predictor of course completion, with males less likely to complete the course. Other variables, including age, career stage, and prior review or publication experience, showed no significant relationship. The findings demonstrate strong demand for peer review training and support the expansion of similar online courses to strengthen reviewer capacity, particularly for Diamond Open Access journals that rely on volunteer reviewers.