Lesson 10: Peer review

Question 1

During a peer review what process should be conducted before deciding whether or not a research report should be published?

Answer 1

Independent scrutiny

Question 2

What are the five factors that are assesed upon peer reviewing a piece of research?
(V.O.S.M.E)

Answer 2

1. Validity
2. Originality
   3.Significance
   4.Methodology
   5.Experimental design

Question 3

What are the FOUR things the reviewer can do upon recieving the author’s research manuscript?

Answer 3

1. Accept the manuscript AS IT IS
2. Accept it with revisions
3. Suggests the author makes REVISIONS and RE-SUBMITS it
4. REJECT it without the possibility of re-submission

Question 4

Who makes the final decision about whether the research report gets accepted or rejected?

Answer 4

The editor of the scientific journal

Question 5

What are the THREE purposes of a peer review?

Answer 5

1.To ensure the quality and relevance of research
2. Ensure accuracy of research
3. To evaluate proposed designs for research and funding

Question 6

What are the FOUR factors that can be can be avoided by conducting a peer review

Answer 6

-Dissemination (spread) of irrelevant findings
-Unwarranted claims
-Unaccpetable interpretations
-Deliberate fraud

Question 7

Name a positive evaluation of peer review (hint: independent scrutiny)

Answer 7

Independent scrutiny increases the probability of errors being identified as authors and researchers are less objective about their own work.

Question 8

Name another positive evaluation of peer review (hint: Double blind procedure)

Answer 8

The Double blind procedure can be used so the researcher who conducted the study is kept anonymous, and the researcher also does not know who will peer review their own work.

Question 9

Name another positive evaluation of peer reviews (hint: specialist)

Answer 9

Peer review involves a specialist psychologist in the field judging the work, and they will have exceptional knowledge and expertise in order to make the best judgement.

Question 10

Name a negative evaluation of peer reviews (hint: appropriate expert)

Answer 10

It is not always possible to find an appropriate expert to review a research proposal or report. This means that poor research might be positively reviewed as the reviewer did not understand it properly.

Question 11

Name another negative evaluation of peer review (hint: favouritism)

Answer 11

Peer review can be an unfair process whereby some reviewers have connections with certain universities and therefore FAVOURITISM or BIAS migh occur towards researchers depending on their institution.