Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: “A journal is only as good as its reviewers”- wrote a journal in an annual thank you note to its reviewers. Peer review is the quality-control backbone of scientific writing. Peer review, likely began with the birth of scientific journals (1665, Philosophical Transactions , Royal Society) as editorial judgment combined with occasional consultation, streamlined in 1752 via the “Committee of Papers,” and was used with increasing frequency in the late 1800s by The Lancet (1823) and Nature (1869) [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The post–World War II boom in science and the emergence of U.S. grant systems required institutionalization of peer review [ 1 ]. Journals adopted peer review widely in the 20th century to meet demands for objectivity amid an increasingly rising volume of papers [ 2 ]. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) ( https://publicationethics.org ), founded in 1997, helped articulate guidance on peer review [ 4 ]. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors ( www.icmje.org ) and major publishers provide further guidance.
Authors: Shahul H. Ebrahim, Ziad A. Memish
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W7126055925