What is Peer Review Week?
Peer Review Week (PRW) is an annual, week-long, global event raising awareness about the importance of peer review in maintaining high-quality research publications and exploring how peer review can address different issues within the academic and publishing communities. This initiative attracts individuals, institutions, and organisations who value the significant role that peer review plays in upholding high research standards.
“KnE Publishing is dedicated to supporting international academic standards and publishing best practices. We believe inclusive and equitable peer review processes are vital in ensuring high-quality research – I am thrilled to be personally involved as a member of the steering committee for this initiative which perfectly complements our company goals.” – Emily Choynowski, Head of KnE Publishing
Why is peer review important?
Peer reviewers are experts in the particular disciplines and subjects they are reviewing, and their constructive feedback can be used to strengthen arguments, giving authors the opportunity to re-evaluate and enhance their work. A peer reviewer can give valuable insight into the soundness of an argument, identifying weak points, and providing alternative points of view and scholarly insights. Peer review benefits the entire scholarly ecosystem by maintaining high-quality standards for publications. As a practice, peer review also contributes to making research more inclusive by enabling experts from different parts of the world to enrich scholarly conversations and add fresh perspectives. Overall, peer review is an indispensable tool for all research stakeholders; it validates the quality and relevance of research and scrutinises it when needed.
What is PRW 2021 about?
This year’s Peer Review Week is about identity. The purpose of this year’s initiative is to explore how peer review can influence inclusion in scientific and scholarly communities. Discussions and events will examine the role of peer reviewers, publishers and other academic bodies in amplifying the voices of different researchers to ensure equitability and diversity.
“Awareness of how these distinct identities influence peer review will help us appreciate how the symbiotic scholarly publishing universe functions and adapts itself to changing demands.” – Jayashree Rajagopalan of Cactus Communications and co-chair of the 2021 PRW steering committee
How to get involved:
Individual professionals, institutions, and organisations are invited to participate in this initiative by planning a Peer Review Week event or simply attending one. Supporting activities can include organising webinars, writing blog posts, creating videos, recording podcast episodes, or any other action that can shape a meaningful conversation within the industry.
Planning to get involved? Tell us more about your events or activities here.