Dear colleagues,
Do you think that the peer review process entails experiences of racism? Recently, this issue came up in discussion with a few students who are people of colour. I found it very disheartening but I am sure it is way more discouraging for young graduates to experience racism in the peer-review process. Is there anything that can be done to make the reviewers more objective and not hung up on colonial and racist legacies? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you!
Warm regards,
Gulnaz
Thank you Gulnaz Anjum for the question but I failed to understand how can a peer review process could entail racism. The peer-review process I'm familiar with is confidential; even names are not revealed! So how can reviewers apply "racism" when no indication is made to names, photos or identities during the process. Having said this, I, equally, would not be surprised that sometimes "sick" mentalities are capable of infusing their venom in devious ways!
Ideally, the peer review system would indeed require a full confidentiality, as Dr Hussein says above,. Sadly, complete objectivity isn't always applied. Discrimination has no place in Academia, and a good journal treats contributors with respect and makes selections on merit alone. Breaches of this objective standard should be reported if possible. This way good young researchers are not discouraged to partake in what is their expertise as well as their passion.
The problem sometimes applies to reviewers from non_Western countries. I can point to some judgemental remarks with respect to the writing style of the author coming from reviewers whose linguistic disposition is challenged sometimes.
The same is when the author is a woman (even a "white" one). Discrimination might have no place in the scholar world, but sadly, many scientists are suffering it in their careers.
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