Title:
Edit reviews without permission? Some journal editors say it's OK
Author:
Cathleen O'Grady
Published:
Science, Volume 370, Issue 6516, pp. 515-516 (2020)
Abstract:
A survey of 322 journal editors at high-impact journals across ecology, economics, medicine, physics, and psychology has found that 91% of editors would alter a peer-review report under certain circumstances, with or without the permission of the reviewer. More than 80% said they would edit a report if a reviewer used inappropriate or offensive language, or made personal comments about the authors, but 8% said they would change the reviewer's overall recommendation without their permission. The survey comes amid a wider push for consistent guidelines and concerns that a lack of clarity on the issue opens the door to corruption.