Research methods 12 | Peer review Flashcards
AO1: Purpose of Peer Review
“Ensures research contributes to scientific knowledge by making it available to other researchers. Acts as quality control before publication.”
AO1: Peer Review Process Steps
“1. Submission to journal.
2. Sent to experts.
3. Assessed for methodology, data, and conclusions.
4. Decision: Accept/Reject/Revise.
5. Editor’s final approval.”
AO1: Why Peer Review is Used
”- Maintains scientific integrity (self-regulation). - Prevents poor research from being published. - Boosts institutional reputation & funding chances.”
AO3: Criticism - Limited Expertise
“Small research fields may lack qualified reviewers, making fair evaluation difficult.”
AO3: Criticism - Bias & Rivalry
“Professional rivalries may lead to unfair rejections. Reviewers may favor famous researchers (halo effect).”
AO3: Criticism - Anonymity Issues
“Double-blind reviews help but aren’t foolproof (authors identifiable by writing style; anonymity may encourage harsh reviews/idea theft).”
AO3: Criticism - Publication Bias
“Journals favor significant/positive results, leading to the ‘file drawer problem’ (unpublished negative studies skewing literature).”
AO3: Criticism - Slow Process
“Delays in publication (months/years) can hinder progress in fast-moving scientific fields.”
AO1: File Drawer Problem
“Unpublished studies with non-significant results, leading to biased literature and wasted research efforts.”
AO1: Publication Bias
“Journals prefer publishing positive/significant findings, distorting the true body of evidence.”
AO3: Impact of Peer Review on Funding
Institutions with high peer-reviewed output gain better funding, but bias in review may unfairly advantage some.
