Why Science Matters: Peer Review

One of the most important parts of scientific research is having scientific work reviewed by other scientists. The scientific question is posed and the proposed answer is stated (in the form of the hypothesis). Next, the scientific method is instituted to try and answer the question by seeing if the stated hypothesis is true or not. Once the process is completed and the evidence is presented, the peer review process begins! The peer review process is an important part of why science matters because it establishes credibility of the published research.

But, what is the peer review process? Whenever an abstract (short research summary) is sent in for presentation at a scientific conference or a manuscript (full, detailed paper) is submitted for publication in a respected journal or online publication, the research needs to be reviewed. This review process is performed by other scientists to make sure that the hypothesis, scientific method, results, and conclusions of the research are reliable and make sense.

Usually, the research is reviewed by scientists who participate in that specific field of research. When I use the term scientist, I use it as a general term for someone who performs scientific research which may include chemists, physicians, mental health specialists, sociologists, and anyone else who takes part in scientific projects. So, if you performed research in the area of pediatric critical care and the project focuses on an area of heart disease, the journal or conference is going to try and find a scientist who has published or who has expertise in that specific field of study.

In the instance of submitting one’s scientific research to a journal for publication, the manuscript is sent out to reviewers to read the manuscript and make comments. These reviewers, as mentioned, are familiar with the area of scientific research and are considered peers with the researcher. The identities of these peers are often not disclosed to the researcher who sent in the manuscript to be published. Usually, two or three reviewers are enlisted to evaluate the research manuscript. The reviewers read the manuscript and make comments or suggestions about it. It is exceedingly rare that a review will have no comments or suggestions. Once the researcher receives the comments and suggestions about the scientific manuscript, he or she is responsible for responding to the comments and suggestions. If the researcher responds appropriately in a way that satisfies the peer reviewers, the manuscript is accepted for publication. If the researcher is not able to give satisfactory responses to the peer reviewers’ comments or suggestions, the manuscript is not accepted for publication.

Many manuscripts and abstracts are submitted for publication or presentation, but not all are accepted. Personally, I have submitted some scientific manuscripts that have been published and others that have been declined. It is a part of the research process and is meant to ensure that only the most reliable scientific research is available for the scientific community to use in future work. In healthcare, this may include performing future scientific research based on prior research or using research results to treat patients, institute public health measures, establishing guidelines for diagnosing diseases, and many other important aspects of keeping individuals and society healthy. Because of the significant importance of the peer review process, scientific journals will state whether or not they are a peer reviewed journal (meaning that they use the peer review process in their publication acceptance practices). When I am looking for answers to scientific questions and I review the literature on a topic, I look for research in peer reviewed journals.

Scientific fields are not static and are ever-evolving. Subsequently, there is more to know and understand about just about everything. So, it is very difficult for any one person, no matter how smart they are, to know everything there is to know about many different fields of science. Scientific studies have become so specialized and complex. With that being said, we need to trust resources that adhere to a certain standard of scientific scrutiny. This scrutiny allows us to trust that the information that we are accepting as truth is being vetted by experts in that specific area of study and those who are adept at making sure that the science that has been performed in that area is sound. The peer review process is part of science and why science matters.

Have you ever submitted research to a peer reviewed journal or organization? If you have, how was your experience with the process?