Dual-Anonymous Review

Volume 48 number 1 (2020)

Download this article (pdf)

Nancy D. Morrison

Department of Physics and Astronomy and Ritter Observatory, MS 113, The University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft Street, Toledo OH 43606; jaavso.editor@aavso.org

Abstract

Peer review—in which an independent expert critiques a research report in order to assist the author in achieving the highest possible quality—is at the core of the scientific process. Traditionally, the reviewer is anonymous in order to be able to criticize the work frankly. In recent years, however, there has arisen the practice of making the author’s identity also unknown to the reviewer: double blinding or dual anonymization. The goal is to help reviewers concentrate on the scientific merits of the article rather than the merits of the authors themselves. It’s difficult to assess the merits of individuals without bias, whether conscious or unconscious.