Peer review matters to the public
Friday, February 8, 2013 - 13:30
in Psychology & Sociology
A new guide to peer review has just been launched to help the public make sense of research claims. People are bombarded with claims in newspapers and on the internet that are based on scientific studies. When faced with a headline that suggests an Alzheimer's drug increases the risk of heart attack or that watching TV is bad for children's mental health, or that pesticides are causing a decline in bee populations, people have to work out what to believe. Which claims should be taken seriously? Which are 'scares'?