UK inquiry into peer review

The UK Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into the operation and effectiveness of the peer review process.

Issues it is likely to examine include: peer review’s strengths and weaknesses as a quality control mechanism for scientists, publishers and the public; measures to strengthen it; its value and use in advancing and testing scientific knowledge, and in informing public debate; how far it varies between scientific disciplines, and around the world; the way reviewers are identified, as the volume of multidisciplinary research increases; the impact of IT and the greater use of online resources; and possible alternatives to peer review.

The Committee welcomes written submissions by Thursday March 2011 from scientists whose material has been peer-reviewed, those who commission peer reviews, and those who carry out peer review.

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