New book by History Professor Melinda Baldwin explores the development of peer review in the sciences

Melinda Baldwin, the AIP Endowed Professor in History of Natural Sciences, has published a new book entitled "In Referees We Trust? How Peer Review Became a Mark of Scientific Legitimacy."

Melinda Baldwin, the AIP Endowed Professor in History of Natural Sciences, has published a new book entitled In Referees We Trust? How Peer Review Became a Mark of Scientific Legitimacy.

The book traces the development of refereeing at journals and scientific funding agencies, and shows that the peer review system -- now considered a cornerstone of science -- is much younger than many observers have assumed. Although more informal systems of refereeing existed earlier, it was not until the late 20th century that "peer review" as we know it truly took shape.

The book is available as a free open-access download from The MIT Press.