Understanding and Critiquing the Peer Review Process

Goal: The primary goal of the activity or assignment is for students to develop an increased understanding of the peer review process and how it is connected to the authority or credibility of different information sources. Students will also be encouraged to consider some of the criticisms that have been raised about the process and consider alternatives for determining authoritative sources within a field or discipline.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the basic process of scholarly peer review
• Explore how the peer review process is used to identify or establish authoritative or credible works within a field
• Critically examine the peer review process, considering it in connection with issues such as access and bias