referee

A peer reviewer of some written material to help editors and publishers determine its suitability for publication. Publishers of serious scholarly journals, textbooks, and other professional documents usually ask several of the author's professional colleagues, usually those with some expertise in the topic discussed in the proposal or submitted manuscript, to evaluate the material. The publisher commonly uses the double blind process to help ensure that the decision to publish or not to publish is based only on the merits of the writing. Reputable social work journals and textbooks, as well as those of other professional groups, use referees to determine if the material should be published.