On a Reliable Peer-Review Process

Abstract

We propose an enhanced peer-review process where the reviewers are encouraged to truthfully disclose their reviews. We start by modelling that process using a Bayesian model where the uncertainty regarding the quality of the manuscript is taken into account. After that, we introduce a scoring function to evaluate the reported reviews. Under mild assumptions, we show that reviewers strictly maximize their expected scores by telling the truth. We also show how those scores can be used in order to reach consensus.