Peer review is a process of engaging substantive experts to read and comment on new research in the fields in which they study in order to validate and certify that research.

Peer review (known as refereeing in some areas) is an essential dividing line for judging what is scientific and what is speculation. The process screens article submissions and requires that authors meet the standards of their discipline and achieve scientific objectivity. This means that science is more than just another opinion.

To have a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal, a researcher submits his paper to a journal. If the journal’s editor believes the paper is within the aims and scope of the publication, the article is sent out to be reviewed. The article is assessed for originality, significance, validity, and clarity, by independent qualified experts who are researching and publishing work in the same field (peers).

The proportion of papers accepted during the peer review process varies depending on the publication. Some publications accept a greater proportion of papers than others. Many factors influence this acceptance rate, a lower acceptance rate may indicate that a journal is very popular to authors and receives a very significant amount of submissions. In contrast, a journal within a niche area of research may have a higher acceptance rate, due to submissions being lower and more focused towards the publication. On average, an acceptance rate of 25%-50% is often reported as the modal acceptance rate for publications.

The average cost per article to conduct the peer review process has been estimated to be approximately $2,000 per article. This figure includes article peer review, editing, preparation of illustrations and the preparation of master copies. Reviewers do not get paid for their service, but editors may receive an honorarium.

The timeframe for the peer review process can vary; however, the consensus is that three-four weeks to review an article is appropriate for most articles.

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