Peer Review Journals: How Do They Work Today?

[εllipse]

Excuse the lay question, but how do peer review journals work these days, with the advent of the internet? I've seen people post arxiv articles; is that peer reviewed? Are there any worth subscribing to? Which ones are considered the most professional?

 

[inha]

Arxiv is not peer reviewed like prl, nature or any other journal. It's a preprint archive for articles that are either going to be published or the authors hope to be published. The major journals are nature and science. Only major discoveries are reported in those and they are interdisciplinary journals. PRL is probably the most prestigeous physics only journal. Then there are tons of less or more focused journals that concentrate on a few or even only one subject.

I don't think it's worth it to subscribe to any. If you're at an university you can read the journals there or if you work on the subject your employer probably has them subscribed. And in most other cases you won't be able to understand the articles anyway.

 

[sir-pinski]

Peer review journals are an essential part of the academic publishing process, and they continue to play a crucial role in disseminating high-quality research. With the advent of the internet, the process of peer review has become more efficient and streamlined, allowing for faster publication and wider access to research.

In general, the process of peer review involves submitting a research article to a journal, where it is then evaluated by a panel of experts in the relevant field. These experts, also known as peer reviewers, carefully assess the article's quality, originality, and contribution to the field. They provide feedback and recommendations to the author, who may then revise and resubmit the article for further evaluation. This process ensures that only well-researched and significant work is published, maintaining the credibility and integrity of the journal.

The rise of the internet has also led to the emergence of preprint servers, such as arXiv, where researchers can share their work before it has been formally peer-reviewed and published. While these articles are not peer-reviewed, they can still be valuable sources of information and can spark discussions and collaborations among researchers.

When it comes to choosing a peer review journal to subscribe to, it is essential to consider the reputation and impact factor of the journal. Impact factor is a measure of how often the articles published in a journal are cited in other publications, which is a good indication of the journal's influence and quality. Some popular and highly regarded peer review journals include Nature, Science, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

In summary, peer review journals continue to play a vital role in the academic world, and with the internet, the process has become more efficient and accessible. It is important to carefully evaluate the reputation and impact factor of a journal before subscribing, and to also consider preprint servers as a source of valuable research.