Peer review: What is it good for?
21st February 2010
Scientists worship at the altar of peer review, and I use that metaphor deliberately because it is rarely if ever questioned.
There are a few studies that suggest peer review is somewhat better than throwing a dice and a bunch that say it is much the same. It is at its best at dealing with narrow technical questions, and at its worst at determining “importance” is perhaps the best we might say. Which for anyone who has tried to get published in a top journal or written a grant proposal ought to be deeply troubling. Professional editorial decisions may in fact be more reliable….