What are the different types of peer review?
Peer-review can be categorized into various types. The most common classification is single blind, double blind, triple blind and open peer review. Essentially, the single blind form is the most common type of peer review in STEM areas and it involves the identity of the reviewer not being disclosed to the author, however, the identity of the author is known to the reviewer. Double blind review involves the identity of both the peer reviewer and the author not being disclosed to each other. Triple blind peer review involves the identity of the editor, peer reviewer and the author not being disclosed to one another.
Open peer review on the other hand has several meanings. It can refer to open identities of the author and reviewer, it can refer to the peer review report being openly available along with the article, it can refer to open participation of readers in the peer review process, wherein readers can openly provide feedback and contribute to the review process, this could also include an open and active discussion among the stakeholders. There is also an open peer review system that involves the manuscript being available online immediately after submission to the journal, and the peer review happens online once readers have access to the article.
Collaborative peer review is another form of peer review that is undertaken by journals. This generally involves all the reviewers involved in the review working together, sometimes also along with the editor to put together a unified report.
Transferrable peer review is another newly introduced type of peer review. This form of peer review enables journals to transfer a peer review report from one journal to the other in cases where the editor of the journal feels that the manuscript is not suitable for their journal, but, it could be more suitable to another journal. However, the permission of the author is always sought before taking such a decision.
Lastly, there is something known as a pre-submission peer review. A pre-submission peer review is the peer-review of your manuscript before you actually submit it to a journal. It involves getting your manuscript critically reviewed by a senior colleague or peer for feedback that could help you improvise it before submitting it to a journal. Enago also offer such a professional Pre-Submission Peer Review that could help you prepare high-quality and error free manuscripts.
