Scientists and researchers share similar goals when it comes to proposing an idea and carrying out the process of validating or proving that idea. The scientific process of asking questions, researching the topic, proposing a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, analyzing the results, and then reaching a conclusion are used in many fields, including psychology, drug development, medicine, genomics, health, and social sciences. This list is just the tip of the iceberg!
The Components of Scholarly and Scientific Research
Students and serious scholars routinely spend hours and hours researching before presenting their work to the general public and their peers. The research includes several steps, including
Narrowing the scope of the idea
- Determining whether the idea has already been presented
- Finding out what conclusions other researchers have obtained
- Further developing the idea
- Verifying the practical application of the idea
Naturally, the quality of the research affects the acceptance of the final results. This brings up the topic of peer reviews.
The Definition of a Peer Review
What is a peer review? It is basically the process of taking an author’s, scientist’s, or researcher’s work and subjecting it to the scrutiny of experts in the same field. These peers carefully retrace the steps of the original author, making sure the results are valid and appropriate for publication.
The Results of Scientific and Scholarly Research
When scientific discoveries and research findings are completed with care, the results can have a lot of positive impact on the whole of society. Conversely, claims that aren’t validated with research and dependable peer reviews also have an impact. In fact, avoiding the disastrous effects of widespread panic or harm due to scientific errors is one of the most important reasons for researchers to draw from publications, scientific journals, and other sources of information that have been thoroughly peer-reviewed.
The Desk Review
The first step in the review process is known as the desk review. An editor or supervisor reads through the manuscript to decide if it’s worthy of being presented to peers. For example, a research team or a student seeking an advanced degree may prepare work that is too broad or that was based on an obvious error. This time-saving step ensures that peers are presented with quality work.
The Process of the Peer Review
When scholarly work reaches the eyes of peers, these individuals will read through paperwork to see if the research topic is clear and has been formulated logically. They’ll determine whether the approach to the subject was a good match for the scientific claims and issues addressed. Reviewers also evaluate the methodology of the research to determine whether it’s possible to reproduce the study with the same results. Peers also make sure the findings are original. Finally, if humans or animals were involved, the reviewers will take ethical questions into account.
The Value of the Review
Peer-reviewed articles may be read by thousands or tens of thousands of students and researchers around the world. Reputable publications tend to carefully vet their content so that all articles and claims have been thoroughly reviewed to avoid legal trouble, erroneous claims, and embarrassment.
Sources of Reviewed Information
As researchers look for scholarly articles and studies for their work, they often choose sources, such as Bentham Science publishing, that have already been approved by peer reviews. Articles and ebooks from the Bentham Science library come from trustworthy sources within the pharmaceutical, biomedical, medical, and engineering research world. These publications have already met strict reviews, so students and researchers can publish their own findings with confidence.
Before a scientist, researcher, or student begins their research and exploration, it’s crucial they find reliable sources of information. This means basing their research on scholarly articles that have faced a peer review and it means that their own work passes peer review. It’s crucial that each part of the research process is validated for the results to be taken seriously.