Peer Review: A Vital Gatekeeping Function and Obligation of Professional Scholarly Practice

Abstract

The author argues for the centrality of peer review in assessing the scholarly merits of manuscripts, given considerable changes in the publication landscape that present formidable challenges for editors to solicit qualified reviewers, and seeks to convince reluctant senior faculty and scholarly practitioners to review manuscripts in their areas of expertise, contending in effect that we have a professional obligation to do so.