Hirschauer S. "Peer review research - Reviewed - Sociological shortcomings of academic evaluation" ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE 33 (1). FEB 2004. p.62-83 LUCIUS LUCIUS VERLAG MBH, STUTTGART

[Eugene Garfield]

TITLE:          Peer review research - Reviewed - Sociological
                shortcomings of academic evaluation (Review, German)
AUTHOR:         Hirschauer, S
SOURCE:         ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE 33 (1). FEB 2004. p.62-83
                LUCIUS LUCIUS VERLAG MBH, STUTTGART


ABSTRACT:       Peer review research is the sphere of science studies
dealing with the central mechanism of the self-evaluation of scholarly
practice. This article offers a critical review of this research. It
seems that peer review research is deeply involved in the selfsame
evaluative process which it should be observing with professional
distance. The reason is a lack of sociological conceptualization of this
activity. The article pleads for a theoretical reorientation from persons
to social processes, from measures of reliability to acknowledgement of
dissent, from cognition to speech and writing practices, and from
publication Counts to research in communication. Peer review is not a
scientific measurement of the quality of publications, but a social
institution for the calibration of reading time within a discipline.

AUTHOR ADDRESS: S Hirschauer, Univ Munich, Inst Soziol, Konradstr 6,
                D-80801 Munich, Germany