Peer Review

This entry was posted in Category Dissertation , on June 13 , 2013.

Peer reviews are done in every field and in every industry. Peer reviews can be found in law, accounting, aviation and even forest fire management. Medical professionals often have peer reviews to determine the success of clinical trials and whether a certain medicine or method of treatment can be released in the market or not. In academia, peer review is said to be the evaluation of the work of a scholar by one or more people of similar competence, knowledge and experience. It is effectively the examination of a body of work of a scholar by his colleagues. A peer review is often done before a body of work is about to be published. The academicians in the college get together and evaluate if the material is fit for publication or not. A peer review acts as a form of self regulation by members of the academic circle. In the professional world these types of reviews are essential for maintaining standards and making sure that all guidelines are adhered to. They are also important for deciding if the standards that are currently being followed are enough or they need to be altered.

There are many pragmatic reasons for conducting a peer review. It is difficult for a scholar or a professional to identify every small weakness and flaw in his work, no matter how capable they are. There are occasions when they might have missed a crucial point that would make a big difference to the result of their work. That is why it is important that others look over the work once to make sure that it is fine in every aspect.

When it comes to the world of publishing, it is common for the editors to rely on the help of reviewers to identify whether the material is suitable for publication or not. Many publishing firms have a small group of editors analyzing a large number of manuscripts. They neither have the time or the knowledge to take a call on every one of the manuscripts. If the material is of a very complicated and theoretical nature then it becomes essential for them to take the help of experts in making the final decision. This is where the knowledge possessed by peer reviewers comes in very useful. The writer of the material also stands to gain a lot from listening to diverse points of view on the work that he has done.

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