Psychology - Research Methods - Peer reviews and economy Flashcards
What is a peer review
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.
Validating new knowledge
A proposal of the research must be sent to experts to ensure research will fulfil its aims. Research councils and funding agencies only support research that is robust and ethical
Double blind peer review process
one in which the reviewers do not know the identity of the authors and the authors do not learn the identity of the reviewers
What are the advantages of a double blind peer review process
The work can be sent back to the researcher so they can correct and modify their work - Less bias
Academic Journals
Expensive and unis only buy a few or subscribe online so most people won’t have access to them. They may go through open access
Open Access
Where new knowledge can be viewed online by the scientific community and general public so anyone can see. Good quality work will be published. Some are ranked by peer reviews.
What are the three main functions of peer review
Allocation of research funding, Publication of research in academic journals, Assessing research aging of universities
Why is it important to publish psychological work?
To be shared, to develop new ideas, to increase confidence and reputation of the researcher so they can do more, helps institutes look good
Allocation of research funding
Research is paid for by governments and charities, they have a duty to spend responsibly and require peer review to assess this
Publication of research in academic journals
Peer review prevents publication of irrelevant findings and fraud, can improve research quality so that it is taken seriously and can identify errors
Assessing the research rating of Uni departments
All Uni science departments are expected to conduct research and the quality is assessed so they can be given a reflective rating to their standard
social change (economic)
Understanding social influence can change people’s behaviour and attitudes and prevent people engaging in risky behaviour using conformity research. This can alleviate the burden on emergency and health services
Improving memory (economic)
Cognitive interview developed based on psychological research and this improves the amount of accurate information collected from eyewitnesses. Implication on the economy as amount spent on wrongful arrests and wasted police time will be reduced
Attachment (economic)
Bowlby and further research shows both parents are capable of providing emotional support for children and its now normal for households to have flexible working arrangements, this means modern parents are better equipped to maximise income and contribute to the economy
Mental health (economic)
Research into mental health can find more effective treatments to mental health issues allowing more people to be economically active
