fagfællebedømmelse

Fagfællebedømmelse, meaning “peer review” in English, is a critical process in academic publishing, scholarship, and professional research. The term denotes an evaluation of scholarly work by experts in the same field prior to acceptance for publication, funding, or other academic recognition. The practice originated in the seventeenth century with the Royal Society of London, but it became formalized only in the twentieth century as research disciplines expanded and the volume of scholarly output increased.

In a typical Danish academic setting, a manuscript is submitted to a journal and two or more independent reviewers are selected based on expertise and lack of conflicts of interest. Reviewers assess methodological rigor, validity of results, novelty of contributions, and clarity of presentation, then recommend editorial decisions of acceptance, revision, or rejection. Many universities now employ internal review panels for grant proposals and theses, following a similar peer-review framework.

The value of fagfællebedømmelse lies in quality control, fostering scholarly dialogue, and maintaining standards in research communities. It also provides authors with constructive feedback that can improve the work before public dissemination. Critics argue that the process can be slow, opaque, and subject to bias or favoritism, especially when reviewers are not blinded to authorship. Nevertheless, most academic institutions regard peer review as an essential safeguard against misinformation and as a cornerstone of academic integrity.