The peer-review process and its relationship with environmental and occupational health.

摘要

Peer review of journal articles is now the norm in virtually all scientific disciplines.1 The art of peer review has advanced over the years, and scientific publishing has embraced new thinking. In this editorial, we explore the basics of peer review and options for improving the process. Winston Churchill once said democracy is the "worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried." Much the same could be said of peer review, in that it is the worst way to assess the value of work-except for all the alternatives. Authors worry about careless assignment of manuscripts, technical competence or bias among reviewers, and having their ideas stolen.