Peer review + Psychology and the economy

• Peer review - Before being an official part of a journal research must be subjected to scrutiny by a small group of peers who are unknown to the researchers
• Aims of peer review

  1. Allocate research funding
  2. Validate quality and relevance of research - Formulation of hypotheses, methodology, statistical tests and conclusions drawn
  3. Suggest amendments or improvements
• Evaluation of peer review - Anonymity

  • Remain anonymous - More honest review
  • Minority us A as a way of criticising other rival researchers - In direct competition for limited research funding - Some favour viewing as public
• Evaluation of peer review - Publication bias

  • Publish headline grabbing findings - Increase credibility and circulation
  • Preference to publish positive results
  • Research that don't meet criteria is ignored or disregarded
• Evaluation of peer review - Burying ground-breaking research

  • Supress opposition to mainstream theories
  • Researchers critical of research contradicting own view
  • Established scientist are chosen as reviewers - More likely to pass new and innovative research
  • May slow down rate of change withing scientific discipline