By: Earnest Perry
In the 50th anniversary edition of Journalism History, I discussed the importance of scholars participating in the peer review process. In the time since that article posted online, I have been asked to review two submitted articles and various conference papers. I must admit that I turned down a few. My administrative job and family obligations keep getting in the way. When former Intelligencer editor, Autumn Linford, asked me to address the issue in an issue of the newsletter, I said yes, but immediately thought, “what more could I say that would convince my fellow scholars to participate in the peer review process?”
I cannot stress enough how reviewing has helped me keep up with the latest research. I get excited when I read newly discovered material from archives that have not been explored or comments from oral histories that provide a unique perspective to historical events. I get the opportunity to engage with research that moves the scholarship forward, but also keeps me grounded in the present.
As a civil rights scholar, my goal has been to connect the complex history of the Black Press to the communities it served and the relationship it fostered with others fighting the long struggle. The more recent manuscripts I have reviewed challenged many of the conclusions I and other “seasoned” scholars have espoused in our careers. This is a good thing. It has provided me with ideas for future research and materials to be used in the classroom. This is not a benefit I saw coming from the peer review process, but I will gladly take it.
In the current environment where history is being challenged and, in some cases, restricted, it is comforting to see that the research continues. As a reviewer, I see the first drafts of scholarship that connects the past to the present. It also provides a glimpse into possible futures based on evidence, something that practitioners desperately need. Journalism educators spend a lot of time teaching the Who, What, When, Where and How, but the Why gets little attention. I see a lot of the Why in the manuscripts I review. It reminds me of the importance of what we do as history scholars and educators. As reviewers, we help strengthen the scholarship. It is another reason to participate in the peer review process.
Participating in the review process not only provides access to the latest research, but it can also lead to knowledge of the editorial process. I had the privilege of co-editing a special issue of Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. That opportunity came about because of the relationship I forged with the journal editor and my co-editor as a manuscript reviewer and author. I learned a lot about the editorial process after the reviews are in. The experience has helped me to be a better reviewer and appreciate the work it takes to actually publish the research we produce.
As a young scholar, I initially focused more on why my work was not good enough “as is” than the advice provided to make it better. Conversations with the journal editors changed my perspective. It also led to me becoming a reviewer, serving on editorial boards, being elected to and serving as chair of both the research and publications committees of AEJMC. Being a reviewer has made me a better scholar, teacher and mentor. It has been one of the most beneficial service roles of my career.
Earnest L. Perry Jr., Ph.D. is Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research at the Missouri School of Journalism.
