Peer review

Question 1

What is peer review?

Answer 1

Scrutiny by experts of research papers to determine scientific validity

Question 2

What is the peer review process?

Answer 2

It is usual for several expert reviewers to be sent copes of the research paper by a journal editor. The reviewers report back to the editor, highlighting weaknesses or problem areas as well as suggestions for improvements

Question 3

What are the 4 options for reviewers?

Answer 3

1) accept the paper unconditionally
2) accept is as long as the researcher makes certain improvements
3) reject it but suggest revisions and a resubmission
4) reject it outright

Question 4

What is single-blind review?

Answer 4

This is the usual form of peer review, involving the names of reviewers not being revealed to the researcher.
The idea is that reviewer anonymity allows for an unbiased review free from interferences by the researcher.

Question 5

What is the issue of single-blind review?

Answer 5

Anonymous reviewers may delay the review process so their work can be published first or hide behind their anonymity to be undeservedly harsh

Question 6

What is a double blind review?

Answer 6

This involves both reviewers and researchers being anonymous. The idea is that the research will be reviewed without any bias.

Question 7

What is the issue with the double blind review?

Answer 7

It is likely the researcher would be identifiable from their research topic or writing style

Question 8

What is an open review?

Answer 8

Involves reviewers and researchers both being known to each other. This is seen as reducing the risk of personal comments and plagiarism to encourage open, honest peer reviewing

Question 9

What is the issue with an open review?

Answer 9

Some water down their critique because of fear of repercussions

Question 10

Why use peer review?

Answer 10

Part of verification process whereby research is deemed to be scientifically acceptable or not
System used by scientists to determine whether research findings can be published in scientific journals
Independent scrutiny before a decision is made about whether it can be published reduces the chances of flawed or unscientific research as being accepted as fact
Best system of assessing scientific plausibility

Question 11

What are the criticism of peer review?

Answer 11

Peer review isn’t unbiased
In obscure areas of research, there may be no one else with sufficient knowledge of peer review.
Researchers have been accused of not accepting research so that their own studies can be published first as well as accusations of researchers plagiarising ideas from research papers that they reject
Reviewers may be resistant to accepting papers which counter things they have found or moved away from the accepted paradigm