Per review in science

Main thing

Peer review is a process where scientists check each other's work.
Experts receive a report, data, and the author's conclusions to examine. They test the study's methods, results, and its importance to the field. Reviewers usually do this work without pay, as a part of their contribution to science.
Example: A scientist submits a study on new solar panels. Reviewers check the experiments and data to ensure everything is correct. If it passes review, the study is published.

Terms

• Peer review - It's when experts check the work of other experts. Example: A biologist reviews a study on birds before it's published.

• Journal - A place where scientists publish their work. Example: Nature, a journal where many important studies are published.

• Publication - When a study is shared with the world in a journal. Example: A study on Mars gets published in a science journal.

An analogy

Imagine you made a big puzzle. Before showing it to everyone, you ask some puzzle expert friends to check if it's put together correctly. Peer review is like those friends checking your puzzle.
Example: Just like the puzzle, a study on new medicine is reviewed before being shared with doctors and patients.

A main misconception

People think peer review means the work is perfect.
It helps improve the work, but it does not guarantee it's free from mistakes or flaws.
Example: A study on diet and health was later found to have errors despite peer review.

The history

1. 1665 - The first scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions, starts, leading to the idea of peer review.

2. 1752 - The Royal Society formally adopts peer review.

3. 1900s - Peer review becomes standard for science journals.

4. Today - Almost all scientific work goes through peer review before publication.

"Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself." - Richard Feynman, famous for his work in quantum mechanics and physics education.

Three cases how to use it right now

1. Students use the peer-review method to check each other's work before submitting it to the teacher.

2. A doctor reads peer-reviewed studies to decide on the best treatment for patients.

3. A policy maker refers to peer-reviewed research to make informed decisions on environmental policy.

Interesting facts

• Over 2.5 million peer-reviewed articles are published each year.

• Some journals use open peer review, where authors and reviewers know each other's identity.

• The longest peer review process recorded took over four years.

• Albert Einstein's famous 1905 paper on relativity was not peer-reviewed.

• Peer review can sometimes lead to the discovery of significant breakthroughs, as reviewers push authors to clarify and expand their work.