What is the role of peer review in research?

The role of peer review in research is primarily to evaluate the quality and methodology of a study. During the peer review process, experts in the field critically assess the research work before it is published. This assessment includes examining the validity of the research questions, the appropriateness of the methodology used, the robustness of the data analysis, and the clarity of the conclusions drawn. By doing so, peer review helps to ensure that only high-quality, credible, and scientifically sound research is disseminated within the academic community.

While peer review contributes to reducing certain biases by relying on a community of experts to scrutinize methods and interpretations, it cannot eliminate all biases from research entirely. Peer review does not typically involve the approval of research funding, which is usually handled through different processes, nor does it focus on collecting additional data, as the review process is concerned with assessing the research that has already been conducted and reported. Therefore, the evaluation of research quality and methodology is the central function of peer review.