A different method of teaching peer review systems
Lightfoot, J.T.
American Journal of Physiology 274(6 Pt 2): S57-S61
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9513 PMID: 9841565 Document Number: 492342
Students often have difficulty grasping the advantages and disadvantages of the various peer review systems used in scientific publishing. In the described exercise, students are assigned a current study and then write three 2-page critiques of the article. The three critiques occur at different times in the semester, and thus the students have differing knowledge bases. The critiques are then assigned to other students for peer review using the double-blind, single-blind, or open review systems. After the submission of each peer review, the class discusses the various advantages and disadvantages of each peer review system. In addition to experiencing peer review, in using this method students also gain an appreciation for the difficulty of judging the merit of a peer's work. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.