The process of peer review may be lengthy and complicated but it can be broken down into simple steps. The purpose of peer review is to assess the quality of papers prior to publishing. Many researchers in relevant fields will assess the paper in terms of validity, originality, and significance. The first step in the peer review process is the submission of the work completed. Then the paper’s composition and arrangement is checked, but the quality of the paper is yet to be reviewed. Typically, the editor in chief for a certain scientific journal will check the paper to see if it is appropriate for publication in their journal. It could be rejected without a further review from others, but if everything goes accordingly, credited reviewers in relevant fields will be invited to assess your paper. The reviewers will comment on the paper and send in their final opinion to the journal whether or not it should be accepted or rejected. The editor in chief will then evaluate the reviews in order to determine if it should be published. Once a final decision is made, the author will be notified along with potential suggestions from reviewers that might improve the quality of the paper.
There are certainly many benefits to peer review. This process allows you to have the opportunity to receive critique from accredited people in relevant fields. This may offer opportunities to improve on the quality of the paper. The process of peer review also significantly improves the credibility of the results due to the extensive analysis from many others. A potential disadvantage in peer review includes bias. The reviewers assigned to your paper could be biased and may reject or disapprove of your work. Another disadvantage is that the peer review process is lengthy and will delay the results communicated in your work.
