Search:
Sort by:		Search Reset

IGI Global looks at the importance of the peer review process when discussing Open Access.

Peer Review and Open Access

By Emily Alexander on Sep 18, 2017

The Peer Review Process is a method that IGI Global takes great pride in implementing. This process assures credibility of our resources, thus creating an incredible source of accurate information for libraries to subscribe to. These sources can be used for research, academics, and anything in between. Further, the importance of the Peer Review process is imperative when debating the idea of Open Access and assuring that accurate and credible information is being distributed. If Open Access is being deemed to be non-peer reviewed sources, this can be detrimental to credibility.

What is the peer review process, and why is it important?

In simple terms, the Peer Review Process is the evaluation of professional work by others working in the same field. This process prevents fraud and assures credibility, without which could extinguish the public trust.

IGI Global carries out this process using a method known as the double-blind peer review, as explained in this peer review video. Once an article or chapter manuscript is deemed suitable by the Editor(s)-in-Chief to enter the double-blind peer review process, it is anonymized and assigned to at least 3 to 5 Editorial Review Board Members via the eEditorial Discovery® System. This means that all names and affiliations are temporarily removed from the manuscript, making the manuscript anonymous. These reviewers are then asked to analyze certain criteria in evaluation of the manuscript, including but not limited to components such as originality, significance of contribution, coverage of existing literature, and organizational structure. The double-blind peer review eliminates bias in the review process.

What is Open Access as it pertains to the publishing industry?

Open Access, or OA, allows individuals and institutions unrestricted access to content published in scholarly publications. Unlike the traditional subscription-based publishing models, open access content is available without having to purchase or subscribe to the book or journal in which the content is published.

There are different models of Open Access which range from allowing authors to publish their articles in fully open access journals, to allowing them to post final, typeset PDFs of their manuscript in institutional repositories, to providing them with the ability to make their paper open access within a subscription-based publication.

IGI Global utilizes a Hybrid Open Access Model for its journals, which allows the author to choose whether to publish their paper open access or as part of the journal’s subscription-based content. If they decide to publish it as open access, the authors or a funding body must pay an article processing charge which covers the costs associated with publishing the article and in turn, allows the published article to be freely read online, distributed, and reused. The processing charge is paid after the author’s article has undergone the double-blind peer review process and has been formally accepted into the journal issue.

What’s wrong with the Open Access model?

Although the idea of Open Access may seem attractive to some because of the ease of access to information, there is some discrepancy between whether the Open Access model is the direction publishing companies should be going or not.

There are various ways in which Open Access Publishers are financially supported, some being:

• Charging authors per article.
• Charging authors’ institutions per article.
• Government funding the costs.
• Research agencies funding the costs.
• Cost subsidized by publishing houses.

Since there are always costs associated with preparing quality materials that are verified as scientific knowledge, someone or some party must incur the costs. Therefore, Open Access is not truly free.

In addition to assuring credibility of sources, the Peer Review Process also prevents what is known as “Predatorial Publishing,” or the intentional publication of inaccurate or irrelevant information for financial gain. When someone uses this content in support of their research, this will impact the validity of their own work. It is the responsibility of librarians to guard the process and ensure that these journals are not made available in their libraries. Unfortunately, it’s common that libraries will accept these Predatory Journals simply due to a minimal budget. Obtaining quality scientific content can be an expensive operation, but a return on investment can be amplified significantly through the power of negotiation.

How does Open Access relate to the peer review process?

Just because an author is willing to pay to make his research freely accessible does not mean his work is guaranteed to be published. True Open Access publications will still require the submitted papers to go through a peer review process to be formally accepted into the publication before a processing transaction takes place. Maintaining the peer review process for Open Access papers retains the integrity of the research and of the publication itself.

OA publications generally maintain peer review to preserve their academic reputations, and many open access journals recover costs by charging an author publication fee. Examples of Open Access publishers include the Public Library of Science (PLoS) and BioMed Central (BMC).

Open Access becomes detrimental to scientific research when it is abused by Predatory Publishers who adopt “pay-to-play” models. This option allows authors to pay to have their paper published with no prior review of the research. Without peers to review the work for authenticity and sound arguments, potentially false research is then distributed amongst the academic community. As researchers rely on publishers to only disseminate knowledge that has been properly vetted, they cite this incorrect research, unknowingly corrupting their own work.

In general, there can sometimes be concern surrounding Open Access and credibility, but that’s why the peer review process is so important. The peer review process grants legitimacy. It is imperative that the two go hand in hand in the publishing world.

Newsroom Contact
Caroline Campbell
Promotions Assistant
ccampbell@igi-global.com
(717) 533-8845, ext. 144
www.igi-global.com/

Browse for more posts in:

Events & Collaborations Library and Information Science Resources for Librarians Resources for Researchers

No comments Comments

Be the first to comment!

More from IGI Global

Jun 9, 2023 OA Processing Charges: What They Are and Why They Exist

As of 2023, IGI Global has transitioned its full journal collection to open access. While open access allows for free and immediate access to published research without paywalls or restrictions, the process of publishing open access work incurs certain costs. Publishers invest significant time and resources to ensure the quality and integrity of open access research. This article explains the concept of OA processing charges, their necessity, and provides information on funding options.

Marissa MassareRead More

Newsletter Author News Resources for Researchers Acquisitions

Jun 9, 2023 Dr. Jennifer Qian on Leading an Open Access Journal

The International Journal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, provides provides perspectives on the theory, development, and application of innovations in teaching and learning. Authors share ideas, case studies, and original research on pilot projects, opportunities, emerging technologies, and other innovations in teaching and learning.

IGI GlobalRead More

Jun 1, 2023 EPIC and IGI Global Collaborate to Provide Discounts on e-Collections

EPIC member libraries can work through the consortium to acquire IGI Global e-Collections at discounted rates.

IGI GlobalRead More

Resources for Librarians Library Collaboration

Jun 1, 2023 SANLiC and IGI Global Collaborate to Provide Discounts on e-Collections

SANLiC member libraries can work through the consortium to acquire IGI Global e-Collections at discounted rates.

IGI GlobalRead More

Resources for Librarians Library Collaboration

Jun 1, 2023 IGI Global Achieves Remarkable Open Access Transformation of Its Full Journal Collection (175 Journals) in Just Two Years!

In an impressive feat of transformation, IGI Global successfully transitioned to a gold open access (OA) model within a span of less than two years. Today, all 175+ IGI Global journals covering a wide range of subjects, including Business & Management; Scientific, Technical, & Medical (STM); and Education topics, are openly accessible to researchers and readers around the world.

Mahesh RaisinghaniRead More

Jun 1, 2023 Athabasca University Enters Open Access Agreement with IGI Global

IGI Global is proud to announce that we have entered a new Open Access (OA) agreement with the Athabasca University.

IGI GlobalRead More

May 30, 2023 The Work of Editor Prof. Fabrizio Stasolla Has Been Recognized as a Core Medical Reference

Recently, Doody's Core Titles, an essential collection development tool for health science librarians, included Assistive Technologies for Assessment and Recovery of Neurological Impairments.

IGI GlobalRead More

Medical, Healthcare, and Life Sciences Books & E-Books Awards & Recognition

May 26, 2023 Drs. Sang-Bing Tsai and Wei Liu on Leading Open Access Journals

Being an Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of academic open access journals is not always a simple endeavor. We recently reached out to Drs. Sang-Bing Tsai of the International Engineering and Technology Institute and Wei Liu of Qingdao University, who are the EiCs of Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC) and the International Journal of Information Technologies and Systems Approach (IJITSA ) to hear their thoughts, outlook, and mission for leading two open access journals.

IGI GlobalRead More

May 23, 2023 Esports is Revolutionizing Education with Scholarships, Jobs, and Investments

Esports is often viewed as a distraction from education and not taken seriously, but this industry can create scholarships, jobs, and school investments...

IGI GlobalRead More

Education Web-Based Teaching & Learning Research Trends

May 19, 2023 Many Citizens Have No Choice but to be At Risk of Hacking

The US federal government has access to a vast amount of personal data, making it a prime target for cyberattacks.

IGI GlobalRead More

Government and Law Security and Forensics Cyber Warfare & Terrorism Books & E-Books Research Trends

First Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... Next Last