Reviewing the gatekeepers: A survey of referees of library journals

A survey of referees of scholarly journals in librarianship was conducted to gather information on referees' practices and attitudes, their perceptions of their role in the editorial process, and background information that might reveal relevant information on experience and qualifications for serving as a referee. One hundred ninety-nine surveys were mailed to referees and 121 responses were returned. The responses indicated that half the referees do not work with a formal evaluation criteria guideline but consistently regard validity of claims and originality as the two categories on which most emphasis is placed when reviewing a manuscript. Overwhelming support was expressed for returning comments to submitting authors but a curiously high number of referees do not know if this is the journal editor's practice. Furthermore, approximately 75% of the referees were uninformed by the editor of a reviewed manuscript's final disposition. The majority of referees for scholarly journals in librarianship are employed in academic libraries and schools of library and information science, hold a position of responsibility in a professional association and are successful in publishing articles in librarianship.