Scholarly Publishing

Peer review is the process whereby scholars assess the validity, originality, and clarify of a manuscript before publication. In the best case, peer review improves, validates, and establishes quality and credibility in the scholarly record.

Reviewers typically assess a manuscript for:

• Relevance to the journal's audience
• Originality and significance of the contribution to the field
• Methodology and analysis rigor
• Clarity of writing and structure
• Ethical standards and citations

Single-blind and double-blind peer review processes are traditional forms of peer review and quite common.

This 7 Common Types of Academic Peer Review infographic outlines a few more types than the ones listed here.

Peer reviewers provide comments to an editor to help determine whether to publish a manuscript. Reviewers' comments typically align with one of these recommendations:

• Accept as is
• Accept with minor revisions
• Accept with major revisions
• Reject

It is up to the editor(s) to consider the peer reviewers’ comments and recommendations, the author's response, and make a final decision. Some works go through several rounds of peer review and revision before acceptance or rejection.

It is also common for journals to accept categories of content that are not peer-reviewed but are reviewed in a different way. For example, a journal may accept opinion pieces, reflections, or commentary that do not undergo peer review but instead are reviewed solely by the editor. Author guidelines should explicitly describe the review process, whether peer, editorial, or something else, for each content category.

1. Take a break before responding - emotions can run high. Don't take criticisms personally.
2. Be thorough and respectful in your responses.
3. Use a response letter or revision table to document changes.
4. Don’t ignore suggestions. If you disagree or decide not to follow a reviewer's recommendation, explain why.

Consider that Peer Review Should Be a Dance, Not a Duel.

Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers: This resource from COPE provides several key points and a link to a complete guide (a downloadable PDF).

Navigating peer review: This resource from Elsevier Research Academy requires a free Elsevier account. It includes over a dozen video modules that cover all aspects of peer review, including what it is and how it works, how to write a review, and ethical responsibilities in peer review.