Problems and Perspectives of Peer Review as Quality Control of Scientific Knowledge: A Review

Abstract

　 Peer review method is a quality control system of scientific knowledge. It has been used as quality control of an editorial process since seventeenth century; however the system has some problems on its validity and reliability that disables to assure quality control of editorial processes. This article firstly outlined the origin and the process of peer review system, and then reviewed studies that investigated the reliability of peer review system. Lastly I examined whether alternative system such as open access could supplement and/or displace existing peer review system and discussed how STS could contribute to the peer review studies.