Before a paper is published, its quality is evaluated through a process called peer review. To assist editors in deciding whether to publish a manuscript in their journal, independent researchers in the relevant field evaluate submitted manuscripts for originality, validity, and significance.
Peer review can take four different forms.
- Single-blind reviewers are aware of the authors’ identities, but unless they want to sign their report, writers are unaware of who read their article.
- Double-blind reviewers do not know the authors’ names, and neither do the authors of the manuscripts being reviewed.
- Open peer: where author and reviewer both know each other The article and the authors’ reaction to the reviewer are published with the named reviewer reports if the manuscript is accepted.
- Transparent peer review means that, unless the reviewer decides to sign their report, neither the authors nor the reviewers are aware of who has read their article.
Why is it required?
- Extra reliable – Peer reviewers may highlight holes in a manuscript that call for more research or experiments.
- A paper that is easier to read will allow reviewers to recommend revisions if some sections are challenging to understand.
- Peer reviews are more helpful because they take other experts in your industry into account.
