Peer Review in 3 Minutes

Summary

The video script explains the concept of scholarly, academic, and peer-reviewed articles, which are research publications in scholarly journals. It outlines the publication process, starting with a researcher submitting a draft. The article undergoes peer review by experts in the field, who assess its quality and significance through questions about its importance, methodology, and originality. Based on their recommendations, the journal editor decides on publication, often with revisions. The script also notes the high rejection rates of prestigious journals and the availability of these journals in university libraries. It concludes by mentioning the ongoing discussions on improving the peer review process and suggests seeking a librarian's help for finding peer-reviewed articles.

Takeaways

• 📚 Scholarly, academic, and peer-reviewed articles refer to research articles published in scholarly journals.
• 🔍 A research article details a scholar's research practices and findings, aimed at a fellow researcher audience.
• 🚦 To be accepted by the scholarly community, an article must undergo several quality checks, with peer review being the most crucial.
• 📨 The academic publishing process begins with a researcher submitting a draft article to a scholarly journal.
• 👀 The journal's editor first assesses if the article is suitable for the journal, which is the article's initial test.
• 🤝 Peer review involves experts, or peers, in the same research area evaluating the article's quality and significance.
• ⚖️ Reviewers ask critical questions about the research's subject, interest, importance, methodology, logic, and originality.
• 📉 Based on their evaluation, reviewers recommend approval, rejection, or suggest revisions before publication.
• ✅ The editor has the final say on whether the article is approved, rejected, or needs revision.
• 📉 High rejection rates are common in prestigious journals, with some rejecting over 90% of submissions.
• ⏳ The publication process from submission to publication can take months or years.
• 💰 Published journals are typically available to subscribers, like university libraries, as individual subscriptions are costly.
• 💭 The peer review system, while established, faces criticism and ongoing discussions for improvement.
• 📚 Librarians can assist in understanding the peer review process and finding peer-reviewed articles.

Q & A

What are scholarly articles, academic articles, and peer-reviewed articles?

Scholarly articles, academic articles, and peer-reviewed articles are different terms used to describe research articles that have been published in scholarly journals. These articles report a scholar's research practices and findings, and they are written with other researchers in mind.

What is the purpose of a research article?

The purpose of a research article is to report a scholar's research practices, findings, and conclusions. It is intended to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in a particular field and is written for an audience of other researchers.

What is the role of peer review in the publication process of a scholarly journal?

Peer review is a critical quality test in the publication process. It involves experts in the same research area evaluating the article's quality, significance, methodology, and originality. Based on their evaluation, they recommend whether the article should be published, rejected, or revised.

What happens when a researcher submits a draft article for publication?

When a researcher submits a draft article, the journal's editor first reviews it to determine if it's a good fit for the journal. If it is, the article proceeds to peer review, where experts evaluate its quality and make recommendations to the editor.

Who are the 'peers' in the peer review process?

The 'peers' in the peer review process are experts who work in the same research area as the author. They are responsible for evaluating the quality and significance of the research presented in the article.

What kind of questions do peer reviewers ask to judge the quality and significance of research?

Peer reviewers ask questions such as 'What is this research about?', 'Is it interesting?', 'Is it important?', 'Is the methodology sound?', 'Are the conclusions logical?', and 'Are the findings original?'

What is the final decision made by the journal's editor after the peer review process?

The editor makes the final determination on whether the article should be approved for publication, rejected, or revised based on the recommendations and evaluations from the peer reviewers.

Why do prestigious journals have high rejection rates?

Prestigious journals are very selective about the articles they publish to maintain their reputation for high-quality research. As a result, they tend to have high rejection rates, with some rejecting more than 90% of submissions.

How long does it typically take from the submission of a draft article to its publication?

The time from submission to publication can vary, often taking several months or even years, depending on the review process, revisions, and other factors.

Who are the typical subscribers of scholarly journals, and why are individual subscriptions expensive?

Typical subscribers of scholarly journals are university libraries because individual subscriptions can be very expensive, often costing hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, which is prohibitive for most individuals.

What are some criticisms of the peer review system, and how is it being considered for improvement?

Critics of the peer review system point to issues such as bias, slow publication times, and the potential for flawed research to be published. Scholars are continuously exploring ways to improve the peer review process to address these concerns.

How can one find peer-reviewed research, and where can they seek help if needed?

Libraries often have tools and databases to help find peer-reviewed research. If someone needs more information about the peer review process or assistance in finding peer-reviewed articles, they can ask a librarian for help.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding Scholarly Articles and Peer Review

This paragraph introduces the concept of scholarly articles, which include academic and peer-reviewed articles published in scholarly journals. It explains that these articles report on a scholar's research and findings, are written for a scholarly audience, and must pass several quality tests to be accepted by the academic community. The most crucial of these tests is peer review, which is part of the academic publishing process. The process involves a researcher submitting a draft article to a scholarly journal, where it is first evaluated by the journal's editor for suitability. If it meets the criteria, it is sent to experts in the field, the peers, who then review the article's quality and significance through a series of questions. These questions assess the research's interest, importance, methodology, logic of conclusions, and originality of findings. The reviewers make a recommendation to the editor, who has the final say on whether to approve, reject, or request revisions of the article. The paragraph also notes the high rejection rates of prestigious journals and the lengthy publication process, which can span months or years. Finally, it mentions the accessibility of published journals, typically through university library subscriptions, and acknowledges the ongoing discussions on improving the peer review process.

Keywords

💡Scholarly articles

Scholarly articles refer to written works that present original research and are intended for an audience of scholars and researchers. These articles are a core component of academic discourse and are often the primary means through which researchers communicate their findings. In the script, scholarly articles are described as being published in scholarly journals and are subject to a rigorous peer review process to ensure their quality and relevance to the field.

💡Academic articles

Academic articles are formal pieces of writing that contribute to a field of study. They are typically characterized by their in-depth analysis, adherence to academic standards, and the presentation of new knowledge or insights. The script mentions academic articles in the context of being published in scholarly journals, indicating that they are a type of scholarly article and are also peer-reviewed.

💡Peer reviewed articles

Peer reviewed articles are scholarly works that have undergone evaluation and critique by experts in the same field. This process, known as peer review, is crucial for maintaining the integrity and reliability of published research. The script emphasizes that peer review is the most important quality test that an article must pass before being accepted for publication in a scholarly journal.

💡Research article

A research article is a detailed document that reports on original research. It is written by scholars to communicate their research methodologies, results, and conclusions to the academic community. The script explains that a research article is the primary subject of the video, detailing the process of how such an article gets published in a scholarly journal.

💡Scholarly journal

A scholarly journal is a periodical publication that contains academic articles and research in a specific field. These journals are an essential part of the academic publishing landscape, serving as a platform for scholars to share their work. In the script, the process of getting a research article published in a scholarly journal is outlined, highlighting the role of peer review in this context.

💡Peer review

Peer review is the process by which scholarly work is assessed and critiqued by other experts in the same field. It is a critical component of academic publishing, ensuring that published research meets the standards of quality, methodology, and significance. The script describes peer review as the second and most important test that an article must pass to be published in a scholarly journal.

💡Academic publishing process

The academic publishing process refers to the series of steps that a research article goes through from submission to publication in a scholarly journal. This process includes peer review, editing, and final acceptance or rejection by the journal's editorial team. The script provides an overview of this process, illustrating the role of the journal's editor and peer reviewers in evaluating the quality of submitted articles.

💡Editor

In the context of academic publishing, an editor is responsible for overseeing the content of a scholarly journal. They make initial decisions on whether submitted articles are suitable for their journal and facilitate the peer review process. The script mentions the editor's role in deciding whether to send an article for peer review and in making the final determination on publication.

💡Reviewers

Reviewers, also known as referees in the context of peer review, are experts in the same research area as the author. They evaluate the quality and significance of a research article by asking critical questions about its content and methodology. The script describes how reviewers judge the worthiness of an article for publication and recommend revisions or rejection.

💡Revisions

Revisions refer to the changes and amendments made to a research article based on feedback from peer reviewers. This is a common part of the peer review process, where authors are expected to address concerns and improve their work before final publication. The script notes that even when reviewers recommend publishing an article, they usually expect the author to make revisions.

💡Rejection rates

Rejection rates indicate the percentage of submitted articles that are not accepted for publication by a scholarly journal. High rejection rates are common in prestigious journals, which are selective in the research they publish. The script mentions that some journals reject more than 90% of submissions, highlighting the competitive nature of academic publishing.

💡Subscribers

Subscribers are individuals or institutions that pay to receive a scholarly journal. Typically, these are university libraries due to the high cost of individual subscriptions. The script notes that once a journal is published, it is made available to its subscribers, who often have access through their academic institutions.

💡Critics

Critics, in the context of the script, refer to individuals who question or challenge the peer review system and its effectiveness. The script acknowledges that there are ongoing discussions and considerations about how the peer review process might be improved, indicating that it is not without its detractors or areas for potential development.

💡Librarian

A librarian is a professional who works in a library and assists users in finding information and resources. In the script, librarians are mentioned as a resource for those who want to learn more about the peer review process or need help finding peer-reviewed articles, underscoring the role of librarians in facilitating academic research.

Highlights

Scholarly articles, academic articles, and peer reviewed articles are terms used to describe research articles published in scholarly journals.

A research article reports a scholar's research practice and findings, written for other researchers.

To be accepted by the scholarly community, an article must pass several quality tests, with peer review being the most crucial.

The academic publishing process involves a researcher sharing a discovery with the academic community through a scholarly journal.

The journal's editor first assesses if the submitted article is a good fit for the journal.

Peer review involves experts in the same research area evaluating the article's quality.

Reviewers, or referees, judge the quality and significance of the research through a series of questions.

Questions asked by reviewers include the purpose, interest, importance, methodology, logic, and originality of the research.

Based on their evaluation, reviewers recommend approval, rejection, or request revisions for the article.

The editor makes the final decision on whether to approve, reject, or request revisions for publication.

High rejection rates are common, especially in prestigious journals, with some rejecting over 90% of submissions.

The process from submission to publication can take several months or years.

Published journals are typically available to subscribers, such as university libraries, due to high individual subscription costs.

The peer review system has critics and scholars are continuously considering improvements to the process.

Libraries offer tools to help find peer-reviewed research and can provide assistance with understanding the peer review process.

The peer review process is essential for maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly research.

Scholarly journals play a critical role in disseminating research findings to the academic community.

The peer review process can be a lengthy one, impacting the speed at which research findings are shared.

The cost of accessing scholarly journals can be a barrier for some researchers and institutions.

Transcripts

Scholarly articles.

Academic articles.

Peer reviewed articles.

You may have heard these terms used by your professor,

but what do they mean?

Essentially,these are all different ways of describing the same thing:

research articles that have been published in scholarly journals.

But what is a research article,

and how does it get published in a scholarly journal?

First of all, the article reports a scholar's research practice and findings.

And, it's written with an audience of other researchers in mind.

Finally, in order to be published and accepted by the scholarly community,

the article must pass several quality tests.

The most important of these tests is called peer review.

We can get a better understanding of the role of peer review

if we look at the academic publishing process as a whole.

Let's imagine a researcher

who wants to share a discovery with the academic community.

To do this,

he writes a draft article describing his research and findings

and submits it for publication in a scholarly journal.

Here's where the article has to pass its first test:

The journal's editor reads over the article to decide

whether it's a good fit for her journal.

If it is, she sends copies of the article to a group of experts

to evaluate the article's quality,

in a process called "peer review".

This is the article's second, and most important, test.

These experts are the author's "peers",

since they are working in the same research area.

And since they are making a judgment about the article,

they're sometimes called referees --

so peer reviewed articles are sometimes called "refereed articles".

Each reviewer evaluates the article

by asking questions to judge the quality and significance of the research.

Questions like,

"What is this research about?"

"Is it interesting?"

"Is it important?"

"Is the methodology sound?"

"Are the conclusions logical?"

and "Are the findings original?"

Based on the answers to these questions,

the reviewers decide whether the article is worthy of publication in the journal.

They then make a recommendation to the editor --

either approve the article for publication, or reject it.

Even if they recommend publishing the article,

they usually expect the author to make revisions.

The editor, however, makes the final determination

whether the article should be approved, rejected, or revised.

Rejection is common, though.

The most prestigious journals are very selective about the articles they publish,

so they tend to have high rejection rates:

some journals reject more than 90% of the submissions they receive.

From the time the researcher first submits his draft article

to the time it is finally published,

several months - or years - may have elapsed.

Once the journal is published,

it is made available to subscribers,

which are usually university libraries,

because individual subscriptions are very expensive,

often hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

By the way, like all established systems,

the peer review system has its critics,

and scholars continue to think about how

the peer review process might be improved.

The library has tools to help you find peer reviewed research.

If you want to know more about the peer review process

or need help finding peer reviewed articles,

ask a librarian for help!