Peer Review Process in Life Sciences: A Complete Guide
- Dr. Catherine Kennedy
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
The peer review process forms a fundamental aspect of scientific research, acting as a quality control measure to ensure that research is accurate, trustworthy, and valid. Peer-reviewed research publications have been subjected to scrutiny by experts in the field, filtering out any publications that do not meet the correct standards, and so maintaining scientific publication credibility. The peer review process plays an important role in multiple areas of research, including academic, regulatory, and commercial contexts, ensuring that research integrity and credibility are maintained.
In this article, we will discuss the peer review process, addressing limitations, exploring emerging trends, and detailing how outsourcing your journal manuscripts to scientific writers can be the key to success.
EXCLUSIVE CASE STUDY: How Leading Global Life Science Brands Transform Scientific Research Into Revenue-Driving Collateral
The Five Steps of the Peer Review Process
Submission and initial editorial assessment – the peer review process begins on submission of a manuscript to a journal. Initial assessments are carried out to ensure that the manuscript meets basic quality standards and is aligned with the scope of the journal.
Assignment to peer reviewers – on passing the initial assessment, two experts in the relevant field will be assigned as peer reviewers.
Reviewers’ evaluation and feedback – the assigned peer reviewers carefully evaluate the manuscript, assessing methodology, significance, originality, and contribution to the field. The reviewers will provide a feedback report commenting on strengths and weaknesses, and will suggest improvements or additional work needed.
Revision by authors – based on the reviewers’ recommendations, the authors will make alterations to the manuscript, potentially carry out additional experiments, and resubmit the revised manuscript. Each reviewer comment must be addressed.
Final editorial decision and publication – the journal editor will assess the reviewers’ report and author responses to form a final decision. If the paper meets the standards of the journal, it is accepted and put forward for publication.
Types of Peer Review Methods
Different peer review methods may be used when publishing; they differ based on anonymity.
Single-Blind Peer Review
Single-blind peer reviews are the most common type of peer review, where the reviewers know the identity of the authors, but the authors do not know the identity of the reviewers. The reviewer's anonymity allows them to provide critical feedback without having to worry about the authors’ reaction; however, knowing the identity of the author can result in a conscious or unconscious bias against the author.
Double-Blind Peer Review
In double-blind peer reviews, the identities of both the reviewers and the authors remain anonymous, reducing the risk of bias. It can be difficult to achieve full anonymity, as reviewers can often guess the author's identity based on the research topic or specialised methodologies – this is particularly problematic in highly specialised research fields and can result in bias.
Open Peer Review
Open peer reviews do not have any anonymity – the authors and reviewers are aware of each other’s identities. The peer review report and author responses may be published alongside the article, increasing transparency into the peer review process. It can be difficult to recruit reviewers for open peer reviews, as they may not want their feedback published. In addition, reviewers may be less likely to provide critical feedback.
Post-Publication Peer Review
Post-publication peer reviews are a relatively new method of peer review, growing in popularity with some open-access journals. Readers publicly share their comments on articles after publication. While successful at inducing discussion within the research community, reviews are not confined to experts in the field, potentially leading to incorrect or uninformed criticisms.
Role of Peer Review in Regulatory Submissions
Regulatory submissions require the peer review process to ensure the inclusion of robust, accurate data to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and quality of medical products before they are submitted for regulatory review to authorities such as the FDA. Regulatory peer review differs from academic peer review, prioritising reviewing adherence to regulatory standards, with less focus on originality and contribution to literature. Subjecting regulatory submissions to the peer review process prior to submission helps to identify errors, improving the overall quality of the submission, producing compliant clinical study reports, and streamlining evaluation and approval by the regulatory agencies.
Addressing Bias and Ethical Considerations During the Peer Review Process
The peer review process can be subject to biases and ethical challenges that can undermine its effectiveness. Reviewers often know the identity of the authors, making them vulnerable to unconscious bias based on the gender, ethnicity, or institutional affiliation of the author. In highly specialised fields, the expert reviewer may be in direct competition with others in the field, resulting in their dismissal of work by competitors or those publishing work that challenges their own. To mitigate these biases, journals may turn to double-blind processes to increase anonymity or open peer-review processes to improve transparency.
EXCLUSIVE CASE STUDY:
How Leading Global Life Science Brands Transform Scientific Research Into Revenue-Driving Collateral
Emerging Trends and Technologies in the Peer Review Process
The peer review process is continuing to evolve and improve with the implementation of new technologies and strategies. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools are increasingly being used to streamline the peer review process. AI can automate the initial assessments of a manuscript by checking for plagiarism and identifying potential reviewers. It can also assist reviewers in compiling their feedback by generating standardised templates and drafting comments. Trends in the peer review process are moving towards increased transparency, with a rise in the adoption of open peer review methods. In addition, the increased use of preprint servers and post-publication peer review increases transparency into the review process and accelerates the dissemination of research.
Practical Guidance for Researchers
The production of high-quality, well-written, organised, and impactful manuscripts is essential for publication, however, it can be difficult to master the art of manuscript preparation for manuscript publishing. In preparing for manuscript submission, it is important to carefully review and edit the manuscript to ensure that it meets the journal’s standards. Many researchers struggle to refine their own manuscripts, experiencing difficulty with familiarity bias and explaining concepts to a broad audience. Therefore, it can be helpful to use scientific writers with expertise in mastering scientific manuscript writing, improving the likelihood of publishing success. Responding to reviewer comments and carrying out manuscript editing can also be a challenge, making outsourcing to scientific writers a smart choice.
Conclusion
The peer review process forms the cornerstone of scientific research and publication, enabling researchers to disseminate their findings while ensuring that the research is accurate, trustworthy, and well-written. The peer review process is continuing to evolve and improve, with the aim of increasing transparency and decreasing biases through moving towards different peer review methods. Producing high-quality manuscripts that will progress to publication can be challenging; however, outsourcing to scientific writers can enhance the quality of the manuscript, helping to increase clarity and impact. In addition, they can help you successfully navigate the peer-review process and increase the likelihood of publication.
At Co-Labb, our PhD-educated writers are highly experienced in writing and editing manuscripts. Contact us today to find out how our expert team can help you progress through the peer review process to successful publication.
