The Blind Shall See! The Question of Anonymity in Journal Peer Review.

Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology, No.4., 2014, doi:10.7264/N3542KVW

8 Pages Posted: 26 Apr 2014

See all articles by David Pontille

David Pontille

Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation

Didier Torny

RiTME

Date Written: 2014

Abstract

This article examines the issue of the respective knowledge of authors and reviewers: is it fairer to judge a manuscript in the full light of day, or hidden away from prying eyes? Should one know everything about the authors of a manuscript, or nothing at all? In short, does the anonymity of the reviewers and/or authors guarantee or prevent an objective assessment?

It looks at how these became central issues for scientific journals between 1950 and 1970. It then examines how, from the 1980s onwards, a certain number of categories became stabilized, such as the “single blind” and “double blind” and "open review", which lay down the options available to journals and learned societies.

Keywords: peer review, single blind, double blind, blind review, open review, anonymity

JEL Classification: J16, Z00

Suggested Citation

Pontille, David and Torny, Didier, The Blind Shall See! The Question of Anonymity in Journal Peer Review. (2014). Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology, No.4., 2014, doi:10.7264/N3542KVW, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2427461

David Pontille

Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation ( email )

60 bd St-Michel
Paris, 75006
France

HOME PAGE: http://www.csi.ensmp.fr/en/equipe/chercheurs/david-pontille

Didier Torny (Contact Author)

RiTME ( email )

65 Bld de Brandebourg
Ivry sur Seine, 94200
France

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