peer review

Question 1

peer review

Answer 1

• part of the scientific process.
• When a piece of research has been carried out it will be written up as a paper – this is a particular format, and sets out how the experiment was conducted, the results, and consideration of what the results might mean.
• In order for this to become published research it must be peer reviewed.
• There are hundreds of journals that publish current research in particular fields.

Question 2

what is the process of peer review

Answer 2

1. An expert in the same field will be selected, who works for the journal the paper has been submitted to.
2. They will read the unpublished paper, looking for any mistakes
3. They will say that it can be published, that it needs a review before publication or that it is rejected.
4. Usually there are small changes to be made

Question 3

what are the functions of peer review

Answer 3

• Any research that is published should be of high quality
• It helps to allocate research funding – the UK government currently spends £5.8 billion on research, and this needs to go to worthwhile studies
• In order to be published in a journal articles must be peer reviewed
• Peer review also contributes to the research rating of university departments
• It is meant to spot fraudulent research, so that any research that is published can be trusted by the general public

Question 4

why does research need to be accurate

Answer 4

• The 11+ exam in the UK is based on faulty research! –> It was based on the conclusions of Cyril Burt, a psychologist who produced evidence that IQ is largely inherited. If IQ is inherited and nothing will change it then it would make sense for schools to teach different things according to their pupils.
  → This gave rise to a separation between grammar schools for the ‘smart’ kids and secondary moderns for the ‘less intelligent’, which had less of an academic basis and more of an emphasis on practical skills and trades.
• Except Cyril Burt’s research was fraudulent - he made some of it up.
• Dodgy research can have huge implications.

Question 5

what are the problems with peer review

Answer 5

• It isn’t always possible to find an expert in a particular field, especially if it is new research in an area that has not been researched previously.
• Journals tend to publish studies with positive results, known as publication bias.
• However negative findings can be important, so can replications of existing work to check validity, but these are not often published.
• Dissenting or unconventional work is sometimes ignored – journals often prefer to keep the status quo.
• Once a study has been published it is difficult to retract, even if it is proved to be wrong –> Once in the public domain the damage is done
• Peer review does not always spot the mistakes.