The peer review process is used by scientific researchers and journals in order to test findings and ensure that the research published is credibly and accurate. First, a researcher writes an article after compiling all of their data and findings. Then, the article is sent to a journal of relevant subject matter and the editor screens the paper. The editor can then decide whether to reject the submission, or send it to anonymous reviewers. Typically between two and four reviewers read the paper in its entirety and make suggestions for reviews and edits, which they then submit to the editor. The editor then has three options. They can choose to accept the paper without revisions, reject the paper completely, or send the article back to the author with the recommended revisions.
Some of the benefits of the peer review process are they can increase the validity of an article. Because it has been reviewed by an anonymous source that generally has a lot of experience in the same field, it also ensures that journals are publishing only accurate information. However, it in some ways creates a culture of secrecy. Many people criticize the process for being too closed-doored. Additionally, it limits the amount of research that is published.
