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Peer review is an essential part of the publication process and it ensures that MDPI maintains the highest quality standards for its publications. The peer review process involves independent experts, typically scholars or researchers with expertise in the relevant field, evaluating the submitted work to assess its suitability for publication. 

Peer review for books can vary significantly from the process used for scholarly articles. While peer review is a standard practice for academic journals, it's not as uniformly applied to books, especially in certain disciplines or for certain types of books. We value transparency; if a traditional external peer review is not performed, it will be clearly stated on the book webpage and/or in the book.

Especially for edited books, where multiple authors contribute chapters to a single book, the peer review process may vary. One approach involves independent peer review of individual chapters, with each chapter undergoing its own evaluation for quality, originality, and relevance. Alternatively, the editor(s) may opt for a holistic review by a volume reviewer, assessing the book as a cohesive whole. 

In any case, peer review for books typically takes longer and is more demanding for reviewers compared to journal article review. This is due to the length and complexity of book manuscripts, which require thorough evaluation and detailed feedback from reviewers.

Unlike journal articles where delays of days or weeks may occur, delays in book review can extend for months, as the comprehensive nature of book manuscripts demands thorough evaluation and feedback from reviewers. This underscores the importance of not only identifying suitable reviewers but also ensuring their commitment to meeting review deadlines to minimize delays in the publication timeline.

Also see our blog post "Peer Review within Open Access Publishing"