peer review Flashcards
peer review definition
the assessment of scientific work by others who are specialists in the same field, to ensure that any research intended for publication is of high quality
how are research findings published
conferences, textbooks, but most often academic journals
what is peer review
all aspects of the written investigation being scrutinised by a small group of usually 2/3 experts in the particular field, the review should be objective and be unknown to researcher or author
who conducts peer review
2/3 experts in the particular field
3 main aims of peer review
allocate research funding, validate quality and relevance of research, suggest amendments and improvements
how does peer review help with allocating funding
independent peer evaluation takes place to decide whether or not to award funding for proposed research product. this may be coordinated by government-run funding organisations
how does peer review help with validating quality and relevance of research
all elements of research are assessed for quality and accuracy such as the formulation of hypotheses, methodology chosen, stats test used and conclusions drawn
how does peer review help with suggesting amendments or improvements
reviewers may suggest minor revisions to the work and therefore improve the report. in extreme circumstances, they may conclude that the work is inappropriate for publication and should be withdrawn
peer review strength
establishing validity and accuracy of research
what are the 3 main limitations of peer review
anonymity, publication bias , burying groundbreaking research
how is anonymity a limitation of peer review
a minority of reviewers may use anonymity as a way of criticsing rival researchers. this is made even more likely by the fact that many researchers are in direct competition for funding. this has lead to some journals in favour for a system of public reviewers
how is publication bias a limitation of peer review
editors of journals often want to publish headline grabbing findings or those with positive results. this could mean research that does not meet this could be ignored –> leads to false impression of current state of psychology
how is burying groundbreaking research a limitation of peer review
may suppress opposition to mainstream theories, especially if the research contradicts the reviewers own view. established scientists are often chosen for reviewers as findings that are with current opinion are more likely to be passed than new and innovative research that challenges that order –> slows down the rate of change of scientific discipline
