peer review
PEER re-VYOO
/ˈpɪər rɪˌvjuː/
The evaluation of scientific, academic, or professional work by others working in the same field.
It's a critical process in academic publishing where experts scrutinize a manuscript for quality, validity, and originality before publication, ensuring scholarly rigor.
The story behind the word. The word 'peer' comes from the Latin 'par,' meaning 'equal.' So, a peer is someone of equal standing. 'Review' comes from the Old French 'reveue,' meaning 'a fresh view,' from Latin 'revidere,' 'to see again.' Thus, 'peer review' literally means 'an equal seeing again' or 'an equal re-examining' the work. It describes the process where colleagues of equal expertise critically examine each other's work.
Word relationships
- expert evaluation: A more general term for assessment by specialists.
- scholarly appraisal: A formal assessment of academic work.
Word family
- peer-reviewed (adjective): having been evaluated by other experts in the same field
Collocations
- rigorous peer review
- blind peer review
- undergo peer review
- peer review process
- peer review comments
Example sentences
- "The manuscript underwent a rigorous peer review process, with two anonymous experts providing extensive feedback." A researcher submitting a paper to a journal.
- "Peer review is considered the gold standard for validating research and maintaining the integrity of scientific literature." Discussing the importance of academic quality.
Memory hook
Your 'PEERS' (equals) 'REVIEW' (look again at) your work. Equals Review
When not to use
Do not use 'peer review' for informal feedback from colleagues or friends. It specifically refers to the formal, often anonymous, evaluation process in academic publishing.
Fun facts
- The first formal peer review system is often attributed to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1731, though informal versions existed earlier.
Related words
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