In the academic publishing process, no researcher works in a vacuum.  They expand upon the work of others from the past and present to expand knowledge on a subject.  From the architectural design of pyramids in Egypt, to scientific advancements in medicine, to the exploration of space – there are multiple layers of advancement over time.

Within any field, where studies are done, experiments made, and the testing of theories – everything needs to be verified within the framework of the present day.  Otherwise, nothing would advance and almost everything would fall apart.  One of the important ways scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and biologists test their work is through peer review.

Definition of Peer Review

We all have peers.  It is often people the same age as us but can also be those who are playing a sport together or striving together to reach a common goal.  In academia, it is people with similar education and those working in the same field of study.

Peer review happens when someone researching a subject submits a paper, article, or scholarly work to be reviewed by their peers in the same area of expertise.  These peers evaluate the work to check for mistakes and to verify quality and accuracy.  The findings of the author must meet the standards of the day within any field.  Only when it is found to be credible can it be published.

How Peer Review Improves Knowledge

Submitting academic materials for publishing does not automatically guarantee a stamp of approval. Part of the peer review process allows for multiple minds to offer valuable feedback to the author.  This ensures the work is improved upon to address concerns so that the creator can make revisions as needed.  The goal for all parties involved is to ensure that a ‘fact checked’ and verified document is presented that will benefit society.  It will add to the accumulated and growing work that has already been laid out for future development.

Steps Involved in the Peer Review Process

The peer review process can be quite lengthy but is essential in maintaining a standard of excellence from start to finish.

Submission

Authors submit their research manuscripts or articles to academic journals, conferences, or other scholarly publications for consideration.

Editorial Evaluation

The editor-in-chief or editorial team assesses the submission’s suitability for the journal’s scope and content. Some submissions might be rejected at this stage if they don’t meet the journal’s criteria.

Initial Screening

Editors may conduct an initial screening to check for compliance with formatting, ethical guidelines, source materials, and other basic requirements. Submissions that pass this screening move to the next step.

Reviewer Selection

Editors select experts in the field (peer reviewers) to evaluate the submission’s quality, methodology, relevance, and overall contribution to the field.

Peer Review

Reviewers thoroughly read and assess the submission, evaluating factors such as the research design, methodology, analysis, validity of findings, clarity of writing, and adherence to ethical standards.

Peer Review Reports

Reviewers provide detailed feedback to the authors through peer review reports. These reports highlight strengths and weaknesses, suggest improvements, and recommend whether the submission should be accepted, revised, or rejected.

Editorial Decision

Based on the peer review reports, the editor decides. Possible decisions include acceptance, rejection, minor revisions, major revisions, or conditional acceptance pending revisions.

Author Revisions

If revisions are required, authors make the necessary changes to address the reviewers’ comments and suggestions. Revisions might involve adjusting the methodology, clarifying concepts, expanding the discussion, or providing additional data.

Resubmission

Authors submit the revised manuscript along with a detailed response explaining how they addressed the reviewers’ feedback.

Second Review (Optional)

In some cases, particularly for major revisions or contentious decisions, the revised manuscript might undergo a second round of peer review to ensure that the requested changes have been appropriately addressed.

Final Decision

The editor reviews the revisions and the authors’ response. The final decision can be acceptance, rejection, or further revisions. If accepted, the manuscript moves on to the production and publication phase.

Publication

Once accepted, the manuscript undergoes copyediting, formatting, and typesetting to prepare it for publication. It is then published in the respective journal, conference proceedings, or other academic platforms.

This video explains the benefits and procedures that entail the reviewing of submissions by peers in any field of study.

Peer Review | Challenges and Criticisms

The peer review process is time consuming venture for all parties involved.  Challenges and criticisms are intertwined.

Bias and Subjectivity

Peer reviewers might introduce personal biases, favoritism, or preferences that can impact the assessment of a submission’s quality and relevance.

Slow and Inefficient

The peer review process can be time-consuming, leading to delays in sharing new research findings with the academic community. This is particularly true for journals with long review timelines.

Lack of Diversity

The pool of available peer reviewers might lack diversity in terms of perspectives, backgrounds, and methodologies, which could lead to narrow viewpoints and exclusion of certain research perspectives.

Inconsistent Standards

Reviewers’ interpretations of quality and relevance can vary, resulting in inconsistent standards for acceptance or rejection across different reviewers or journals.

Publication Bias

Journals are more likely to publish studies with positive results or significant findings, leading to potential omission of valuable negative or inconclusive results.

Undetected Errors

Peer reviewers might miss errors, methodological flaws, or inaccuracies in the manuscript, which can compromise the integrity of the published research.

Pressure to Conform

Reviewers might be hesitant to criticize well-known researchers or challenge established ideas, leading to a lack of critical scrutiny of influential work.

Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers with conflicts of interest, such as personal relationships or professional rivalries, could potentially affect their impartial evaluation of a manuscript.

Lack of Transparency

The anonymity of the peer review process can make it difficult to identify reviewers’ biases or verify the thoroughness of their assessments.

Limited Feedback

Authors often receive feedback that focuses on revisions for publication rather than deeper engagement with their research, potentially hindering the improvement of the work.

Unintentional Stifling of Novel Ideas

Radical or unconventional ideas may face resistance in the peer review process, limiting the exploration of innovative concepts.

Pressure on Reviewers

Reviewers are typically unpaid volunteers, and the workload can be overwhelming, leading to potential burnout and reduced quality of reviews.

Benefits of Peer Review in Research

Despite the complexity of the many challenges researchers face – from bringing the spark of an idea or theory to the point where everyone can learn from it – the peer review process is not going anywhere.  How else would the problems of the past be solved with effective solutions?  What would our future look like without a body of verified knowledge?

Mathematics, science, medicine, technology, biology, and engineering endeavors are all interconnected throughout our world.  Peer review provides the checks and balances for research that is completed and submitted.  This builds stronger societies for the benefit of all. Information is reviewed and shared to increase efficiency and prolong life for people throughout the world.

Benefits that we have not already covered include the opportunity for writers to; correct vague terms and concepts, facilitate concise writing, see other perspectives, and gives the writer confidence when affirmed.

Peer review also empowers the next big revolutionary idea.  Perhaps it will be you, but you won’t have to bear the burden by yourself.  Peers will be there to support you and ultimately protect you from your mistakes, which are always a part of everyone’s journey to create something wonderful beyond ourselves.  Not in a vacuum, but in a world where everyone is connected.

As parents, you may constantly remind your children to be careful online. However, the digital world is ever-changing, so you may not be aware of all the risks. Parents are often guilty of practicing unsafe online habits without realizing it. Here are five ways you might unknowingly risk your child’s online safety.

1.  Not Knowing Their Favorite Websites

There are myriad social media and gaming websites children love to go on. Unfortunately, unsavory individuals will often target the kids on these sites. A recent study found 16% of minors faced sexual abuse on websites. One measure to help prevent this is knowing where your child goes on the internet.

Learn where they go and keep up with any information about the site. Learn whether or not it’s intended for kids, or has children and adults. Know what the website lets them do — chat, post pictures or share videos — and discuss with your child what is and isn’t appropriate for those posts. Consider creating a profile to explore the website or ask your child for their account information so you can take a look if you suspect something is happening.

2.  Not Educating Them on the Risks

You might want to protect your child’s innocence, but it is vital to be honest about the types of threats they could face online. Your child should understand people could cyberbully them, post inappropriate things or try to lure them into a dangerous real-world situation. They probably shouldn’t be on their devices unsupervised if they cannot.

Thanks to people online, knowledge is power and your child is more likely to take your warnings seriously if they learn about actual cases where kids were hurt. Go over them in an age-appropriate manner and discuss what precautions they can take to avoid experiencing the same thing.

3.  Posting Their Information

Even if your children don’t have their own social media accounts, they may still have a digital footprint. A digital footprint encompasses all of the information about a person that can be found online. So how can a child have a digital footprint if they haven’t posted anything? From their parents.

The internet can seem like a great way to share your child’s accomplishments with friends and family, but what you put online is there forever. Many adults do not realize that once you post something online, no matter how private you think your account is, it’s no longer in your control.

When was the last time you checked your privacy settings? How many “friends” or followers do you have on social media? Many things could impact your child’s online reputation. Something as simple as a back-to-school photo or their first name could be a tool for someone to track them.

Avoid posting your children’s full names, personal information and locations. Remember that any photos you upload will be part of their digital footprint forever. From future employers to online predators, anyone could have access to that information.

4.  Not Updating Your Devices

All devices have bugs or outdated software occasionally. That’s why it’s necessary to let your computer, tablet and other electronics update when you get the alert to do it. Otherwise, you leave yourself and your child vulnerable to potential hackers.

It doesn’t just apply to devices they can use to get online but machines that use the internet as a tool. For example, some smart security cameras can get hacked and predators can use them to talk to or spy on your children. Keeping everything up to date can help prevent those instances.

5.  Having Insecure Passwords

Your passwords are your primary defense against unauthorized people snooping through or using your account. It’s important to use passwords that are hard to crack. Doing so can prevent hackers from getting your kid’s info, and prevents your child from guessing the password and logging on without your knowledge.

Don’t put personal information in your passwords, such as your name, age or career. Also, avoid your child’s name or birthday, and your pet’s name. Anything someone could easily link to you isn’t a good idea for your password.

It’s tricky because you want a password you can remember. Consider choosing a random television character or your favorite food. Your password should have uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Many websites now have automated password generators that combine random numbers, letters and symbols that you can write down in a safe place and save on your browser.

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

The internet is such a prominent part of daily life that it can be easy to forget the potential dangers. While it’s important to educate your children on the risks, you also need to educate yourself. You can keep your children safe online by improving your own digital habits.

Author bio:  Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist. She strives to live a happy and healthy life with her family by her side.
Follow Cora on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Math is a beautiful subject for so many reasons. For starters, it’s the same in every country; not many subjects are universal. Plus, there isn’t one way to teach math, and teachers can get as creative as they want. If you’re struggling to get your class excited, check out how to get your students excited about math again.

Always Push the Positive

When your students feel irritable about math, it’s not because they have actual disdain for the subject. Most of the time, they feel resentful and negative because they don’t understand what’s happening, and they’re not hopeful about ever understanding the subject.

This is where you step in as their instructor. Always push the positive and constantly remind them that they can learn to grasp the material. Sometimes you just need to back into it from a different angle. Break down the parts of the problem and ask them where they get stuck. Once you find the spot or spots, brainstorm some new ways to explain the material.

Get Them Active

Who says you need to learn math while sitting down? You need to get the blood flowing. Have your students stand up and find another way to learn the subject. Consider doing a few math drills, such as having them come to the board and work on a math problem. Don’t make them solve the entire problem, just a portion of it. Then, have a new student come up to complete it.

Or consider including a project with whatever subject you’re teaching them. Teach your students math with model rockets because the subject plays a big role in the construction process. They construct and get to launch the rocket, so they learn math and have fun. Talk about having a blast!

Combine Other Fascinations

Combine math with something that the students love. Maybe math isn’t a fan favorite, but everyone loves music. It’s always a crowd-pleaser and pairs well with math. In fact, the intersection between math and musical theory is fascinating.

Music helps students focus on the problems they’re learning in one of the most unconventional ways. The rhythm, timing, pitch, harmony, and musical structure relate to math and connect in a way students wouldn’t have predicted.

Make Life Connections

At the end of the day, we need math in life. If your students ever say, “When am I going to need to know this?” take that as a clear sign that it’s time to show them the exact point. You need to remind them that there’s a point behind all this learning.

You’re not trying to waste their time, and when they see how math relates to their personal lives, they’ll have more of an interest in learning the curriculum. It will impact them directly, and they need to prepare for it.

Getting your students excited about math again may take some finesse and creative approaches to learning on your part, but with these tips, you can do it.

If you are a parent, you must already know that it’s not an easy job. It is a great balancing act that needs to be mastered, particularly when you understand that the exposure that your child receives is not always within your control. Even when watching TV, you never know what is going to come on the screen even when you are watching with them.

The amount of time kids spend in front of screens is a huge dilemma. And long gone are the days when a TV was the only thing to worry about. In our present day, it is not only important to manage screen time. One should also consider screen distance. This is where watching TV can be a good option for entertainment so that your kids are not always glued to watching a tablet or small smartphone.

So, in this endeavour to balance your child’s allowable ‘entertainment time” with options, we’ve done a little research to let parents know what channels provide the proper kind of kids’ entertainment.  Here are the best kid-friendly channels that you can safely expose your child to. Explore them in detail and check to see if they are being offered by your cable provider.

Kids Street

This channel came into being in 2017. It essentially is a source of entertainment for Spanish kids (ages 3-7). This channel provides fun, amusement as well as learning opportunities for both kids and families. The best feature of Kids Street that sets it apart from the competition is that it goes above and beyond to create a nice, parent-approved, kid-friendly environment.

The channel caters to a diverse audience. It essentially is a network with strong cultural appeal, and you’ll be happy to know that each program is accessible in both English and Spanish languages. It’s a little-known fact that younger children from other countries quickly learn English watching TV.  Likewise, younger English-speaking kids could learn Spanish if you were so inclined to have them watch a TV show in another language on a regular basis. To find age-appropriate shows that can aid in their language learning, consult a TV Guide for recommendations that feature engaging content for children.

Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon is a perfect channel for both children and teenagers. The shows being aired on this channel are super hilarious and always have an amazing cast. Even silly cartoons are very entertaining to watch.

Popular shows featured on this channel include:

• Drake and Josh
• Jimmy Neutron
• Instant Mom
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Danger Force
• Rugrats
• iCarly

All of the above-listed shows are everyone’s all-time favorites. If you are a parent to preschoolers, then you’ll be happy to know that this channel also has proper series for preschoolers like Blaze and the Monster Machines, PAW Petrol, etc. If you want to expose your kids to good entertainment and information, then sign up with a cable provider that offers this channel and other similar ones.

The good thing is, being a Latin-American consumer of Spectrum; you get access to this channel using your TV subscription. By subscribing to its plans, you get your hands on 140 plus channels, including 75 plus channels in Spanish. Just take a quick glance at Spectrum mi plan Latino to learn more about the incredible features as well as Latin networks that will be ideal for your Hispanic household.

Cartoon Network

How can we forget everyone’s favorite Cartoon Network? It is one of those old, classic channels that have long entertained millions of kids and adults alike worldwide. This channel broadcasts high-quality, entertaining cartoons that are loved by both children and teenagers:

• Powerpuff Girls
• Looney Tunes
• Dexter’s Laboratory
• Courage the Cowardly Dog
• The Amazing World of Gumball
• The Amazing World of Gumball
• Tom and Jerry
• Scooby Doo

All of these cartoon shows are super entertaining, and we assure you that this channel will provide your kids with a worthwhile entertainment experience.

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is greatly loved by teens and kids all around the globe. With super high ratings, the channel is the proud owner of TV shows like:

• Hannah Montana
• Wizards of Waverly Place
• Brandy and Mr. Whiskers
• Recess
• That’s so Raven
• Kim Possible
• Good luck Charlie
• Gravity Falls

All of these shows are super popular among children of ages 10-16. The cherry on top is that teenagers can watch the theme songs of their best-loved Disney movies on the Disney Channel. So, if your kid is also a Disney show and movies fan, then make sure this TV show is part of your TV subscription.

Wrapping Up

As you manage screen time on all the devices your children have access to, balancing the right entertainment from safe sources can be a tough job.  Kids’ TV channels are one of those avenues you can offer your kids that can be an engaging experience for them.