peer review process

Question 1

what is peer review?

Answer 1

• takes place before a study is published to ensure that it is of high quality and contributes to the field of research
• carried out by experts in the field of research

Question 2

why is peer review important?

Answer 2

• judgement about validity, quality and importance of research
• significance of it in a wider context
• methods and designs appropriateness
• suggest future improvements

Question 3

what are the three purposes of review suggested by the parliamentary office of science and technology?

Answer 3

• allocation of research funding
• publication of research in scientific journals and books
• accessing the research rating of university departments

Question 4

outline the process of peer review

Answer 4

• draft an article with research and findings
• submit for publication, journal editor will decide whether if its a good fit and its sent to peer review
• reviewers judge the quality and significance of research e.g. is it interesting, is it important
• recommendation to approve/reject
• usually asked to make some revisions
• back to editor to make final decision

Question 5

how long does the peer review process usually take?

Answer 5

• long process usually taking months or years

Question 6

strengths of peer review

Answer 6

• promotes and maintains high standards in research which has implications for funding
• promotes the scientific process and contributes to knowledge
• helps to prevent scientific fraud
• journal editors can select most important findings
• process widely understood and accepted

Question 7

weaknesses of peer review

Answer 7

• file drawer effect = only statistically significant findings are published (publication bias)
• institution bias = research from prestigious unis favoured
• may be difficult to protect anonymity of referees if research very specialised
• time consuming process
• slows theory progression if contradicting research isn’t processed
• cant deal with already published research