In order for scientists to gain credibility so everyday people and professionals can trust the results, there is a process called “peer review” with steps to follow which can take months to years. This also involves other scientists.

Credibility is gained by being transparent and open to feedback and criticism about the research and findings. This challenge and oversight is conducted by other science scholars and professionals in the same field. They are the gatekeepers and quality control of any journal. Respected in their fields, the peer reviewer assesses the study for credibility, reliability, and validity. 

Steps in the peer review process

1. Manuscript preparation: A lead scientist (principal investigating author) running a team in a lab at an academic institution provides written research and data in a study. 

2. Journal selection: The author chooses and submits the written study to an appropriate  journal to be published. 

3. Peer reviewer suggestions: The author suggests  three peer reviewers to the journal’s editor.

4. Journal submission: The lead scientist, or lead author, submits the manuscript to the journal.

5. Editor review: The editor will initially scan, approve, or reject a study if it fits the journal’s scope and focus. The editor can choose to either reject the manuscript, or send it out for review.

6. Send out for peer review: The editor sends all approved studies  to the three suggested or their own preferred peer reviewers.

7. Peer reviewer comments: The editor receives comments and suggestions from  the peer reviewers. 

8. Peer review anonymity: The editor removes the names of the peer reviewers to keep the feedback anonymous when sending back the reviewed study to the author. 

9. Review response: The author implements the changes and suggestions by the reviewers with a “rebuttal letter,” which specifically addresses each of the reviewers’ comments.

10. Steps 5-8 repeat until the study is approved by the peer reviewers, with no further comments or suggestions for changes. Studies may need to be submitted to other journals’ editors if the author and peer reviewers cannot agree. 

Occasionally, a manuscript will never satisfactorily address the reviewer comments and it will get rejected.

Once the manuscript is accepted, the authors often have to pay a fee to publish it and it goes for editorial reformatting. 

Then, it is usually launched on the journal’s website and will also come out in the journal’s next print issue.

This process can take up to a year.

Possible reasons for rejection

1. If rejected before peer review: the research didn’t fit within the scope of the journal

2. If rejected after initial peer review: the research was “descriptive” ie described a phenomenon without describing how it happened, or the research was not novel (been done before)

3. If rejected after 2nd+ round peer review: the reviewer’s comments were not adequately addressed.

Publications in journals are the measure of success for scientists in academia, so it’s crucial that scientists continue creating new knowledge and continue publishing.