Definition

Peer review

The evaluation of scholarly work by independent experts before publication — the quality filter, imperfect but load-bearing, of academic publishing.

Typical flow: editor triage (desk rejection filters a large share), two or three expert reviews, and a decision — rarely acceptance on first pass; usually revisions with a point-by-point response. Variants differ in anonymity: single-blind (reviewers anonymous), double-blind (both), and open review.

Its known failure modes — slowness, inconsistency between reviewers, occasional gatekeeping — fuel experiments with preprints, post-publication review, and registered reports. For authors, the practical skill is treating reviews as a genre with learnable rules.