The Role of Peer Review in the Scientific Process (AQA AS Psychology): Revision Note

Peer review

• Peer review plays a key part in the verification of research 

  • It helps to determine if the research can be deemed scientifically acceptable 

  • Peer review is an independent assessment carried out before the research is published by other experts in the field

  • It is completed independently and usually anonymously  

• The aims of peer reviews are to:

  • assess the appropriateness of the research to the research topic/aim

  • check the validity of the findings

  • judge the significance of the research 

  • check that the research is original and has not been plagiarised

  • suggest or provide recommendations/amendments

• Usually, more than one expert conducts the peer review

• The experts review the research and suggest edits or identify issues with the research

• There are then usually four outcomes which can be reached:

  1. Accept the work unconditionally 

  2. Accept the work as long as the researcher makes specific improvements/amendments

  3. Reject the work, but suggest amendments for re-submission of the work

  4. Reject the work outright  

• There are three types of peer review

  • Open Review

    • The researchers and reviewers are known to each other

    • This type of review is believed to reduce plagiarism

  • Single-blind Review

    • This is the most common form of peer review

    • The researcher's name is not revealed to the reviewers

  • Double-blind Review

    • The researcher and the reviewers are anonymous to each other