Peer Review

A process of (usually) anonymous frank and rigourous critical evaluation of someone’s academic or technical work, especially a scientist's research findings, by those qualified to judge (called referees), for example, by experts in the particular field. This process is the editorial scrutiny that scientific papers must pass if they are to appear in a reputable scientific journal. The result of this scrutiny may be acceptance for publication, reserving of publication pending adequate changes to correct flaws, or rejection. Referees may improve prospective journal articles by suggesting other observations or experiments, exposing weak points in arguments, or indicating alternative interpretations of results.

(see also: self-correction, Studies – Scientific or Empirical, statistical significance, experimental research, replication, scientific approach, science, scientific methodology, statistic, Sample size error, sample bias, Margin of error, systematic evidence, anecdotal evidence, (conceptual) models, operational definition, critical thinking, theory (scientific), falsifiability, testability).

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