[Peer review: a closed system in need of reform]

Peer review is the process by which experts assess the quality of manuscripts submitted for publication in scientific journals. During the last decade, this system for quality control has been debated a lot and investigated scientifically. By now, there is a widespread consciousness among scientists regarding the deficiencies of this system for quality control. It is slow, expensive, subjective, prone to bias and easily abused. To comply with its important function, the peer review system has to be reformed. The most important reforms would be to make it an open process--that is, the removal of the anonymity of the reviewing experts, and to oblige all parties in the publication process, authors, editors, reviewers, to declare potential conflicts of interest.