Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Apr 2000
Comparative StudyA comparison of reports from referees chosen by authors or journal editors in the peer review process.
The aim was to analyse the peer review process by comparing reports produced by referees selected by journal editors, with those of referees selected by the authors of a scientific manuscript. Some 104 consecutive papers from the UK submitted to the British Journal of Surgery (BJS) were included. Of these, 102 were reviewed blind both by referees chosen by the journal editors, and referees chosen by the paper's principal author. ⋯ Mean scores for all domains were higher than for authors' referees, significantly for scientific importance (p = 0.009) and decision to publish (p = 0.029). In conclusion, reports produced by referees selected by BJS editors were more critical than those chosen by authors of the papers. Authors might argue that this reduced their chance of publication but constructive criticism might improve the final article and assist editors to make decisions about acceptance or rejection.