The Many Faces of Peer Review
AbstractIn academia peer review is an essential and multifarious form of evaluation in relation to both research and educational activities. Further, peer review practices are continuously developing alongside institutional changes and reforms. This chapter sheds light on how peer review as an evaluation concept has developed over time and discusses which roles peer review play today. A typology distinguishing between classical peer review, informed and standards-based peer review, modified peer review and extended peer review is developed. A finding is that peer review today is found with all these faces. Further, peer review practices play many roles, including decision-making, rewarding, naming and shaming, learning and improvement as well as legitimating activities and leadership.