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GCSE Biology · key term
The evaluation of a scientist’s work by other scientists with relevant expertise, usually before publication.
Used by AQA and OCR
Specification 4.3.1.9 · Paper 1
The checking of research methods, results and conclusions by other scientists with relevant expertise before publication.
Revise: Drug DevelopmentThe results are published only after scrutiny through peer review, in which other scientists examine the methods, evidence and conclusions. Peer review can identify weaknesses, unsupported claims or bias, although it does not guarantee that research is perfect.
Specification B6.3q · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
Do not say that peer review proves a claim is correct. Later attempts to reproduce the findings remain important.
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Evaluation of scientific work by other specialists before it is accepted or published.
Results and methods are scrutinised through peer review, in which other specialists examine the work before publication. This scrutiny can identify weaknesses and helps the scientific community judge whether the conclusions are supported by the data.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
Revise: Peer ReviewPeer review is the evaluation of a new scientific claim by other scientists with relevant expertise. When researchers submit a scientific paper for publication, reviewers examine how the investigation was carried out, whether the evidence supports the conclusions, and whether there are errors or important gaps. They give feedback; the researchers may need to improve the paper before it is published, or it may not be accepted.