Research Methods - The Role of Peer Review in the Scientific Process Flashcards
What is a peer review?
A process that takes place before a study is published to check the quality and validity of the research
What type of report is the write of up of research?
A scientific report
Why would a researcher hope to have their research published?
In order for people to be able to read about it
Will all pieces of research make it to publication?
No
What two things does a peer review ensure?
Ensures quality and relevance of research
Ensures accuracy of findings
What does peer review check for? (3)
Fabrication
Falsification
Plagiarism
Fabrication
Made up data
Falsification
Altered data
Plagiarism
Copied data
Why is peer review necessary?
It’s necessary for a piece of research to become part of a journal
What does peer review involve?
Involves all aspects of the written investigation being scrutinised by a small group of experts in a particular field
2 things that experts must be for peer review
Objective (free from bias)
Unknown to author of research
Who makes the final decision of whether to accept or reject the research report based on the reviewers’ comments?
The editor of the journal
5 evaluative points of peer review
Anonymity
Publication bias
Finding an expert
Preserving the status quo
Cannot deal with already published research
Why does the person completing the review remain anonymous?
To produce more honest appraisal
What may anonymity in peer review allow researcher the opportunity to do?
To excessively criticise rivals
What do editors have a natural tendency for? (Publication bias) (2)
For headline grabbing findings
For positive findings
Risk of using non-expert peer to review to research
May bring about risk of poor quality research being passed because the reviewer doesn’t really understand it
Reserving the status quo
Reviewer has preference for research that goes with existing theory rather than dissenting work (goes along with social norms)
What can’t peer review deal with already published research?
Because once published, it remains in the public view even if the information is proved wrong
