Peer Review

Peer Review under Fire

In the first decade of the 21st century, the number of scientific journal articleretractions rose more than 10-fold, raising serious questions about the peer-review process. Critics say that part of the problem is that study authors frequently omit some of the data from their papers, making it difficult for peer reviewers to accurately assess the work, especially when the papers employ complex, highly specialized techniques. In addition, a third of scientists, according to a 2009 report, admit to modifying their research results in order to improve the outcomes. More...