Postdigital Peer Review: A Vulnerable Space Between Freedom and Responsibility

While academic peer review is the cornerstone of scholarly publishing, it presents significant challenges for early-career researchers. This collective paper describes an authentic peer review experience within a doctoral seminar. In collaboration with Postdigital Science and Education, students acted as peer reviewers for manuscripts under consideration, wrote individual reflections on the process, and engaged in group discussions to analyze their experiences. Students grappled with questions of expertise, the challenge of providing constructive criticism, the ‘hidden curriculum’ of academic publishing, and the need for clearer reviewer guidelines. These insights are then discussed and expanded by seasoned scholars in the field, with the goal of a transparent and iterative dialogue that strengthens scholarly communities.