Question

Peer review is an important part of publishing research findings in many scientific disciplines. This process is normally conducted anonymously; in other words, the author of the research article being reviewed does not know who is reviewing the article, and the reviewers are unaware of the author’s identity. Why would this be an important part of this process?

Answer 1

A peer review helps the publisher decide whether a work should be accepted for publication or not. It helps to establish the validity and credibility of the writing and the research done. Thus, the author’s anonymity becomes a crucial part of peer reviews as it helps to eliminate or minimise any biases in the reviewers for the paper which could otherwise emerge if the reviewers are familiar with the author, or have a positive or a negative attitude towards the author. The single blind procedure in peer reviews helps to ensure that the reviewers can critically evaluate a research work or writing in an objective manner and therefore help to assess the credibility of a work.