Academic collegiality is a bug, not a feature (and it's largely not true)
Academia claims to value collegiality, yet the peer review system reveals a cutthroat reality marked by retaliation fears, competitive scooping, and reluctance to provide thorough reviews. Referee proposes removing the 'peer' from peer review, democratizing the process beyond credentialed gatekeepers to enable direct, unfiltered criticism that strengthens research evaluation.