Abstract
The process of peer review has been the gold standard for evaluating medical science, but significant pressures from the recent COVID-19 pandemic, new methods of communication, larger amounts of research, and an evolving publication landscape have placed significant pressures on this system. A task force convened by the American College of Cardiology identified the 5 most significant controversies associated with the current peer-review process: the effect of preprints, reviewer blinding, reviewer selection, reviewer incentivization, and publication of peer reviewer comments. Although specific solutions to these issues will vary, regardless of how scientific communication evolves, peer review must remain an essential process for ensuring scientific integrity, timely dissemination of information, and better patient care. In medicine, the peer-review process is crucial because harm can occur if poor-quality data or incorrect conclusions are published. With the dramatic increase in scientific publications and new methods of communication, high-quality peer review is more important now than ever.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2054-2062 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of the American College of Cardiology |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue number | 21 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 21 2023 |
Funding
The authors thank the editors of the JACC family of journals, members of the Scientific Publications Committee who were not on the task force (Katie Berlacher, MD, Michael W. Cullen, MD, John Doherty, MD, Islam Elgendy, MD, Sandra Oliver-McNeil, DNP, Tanveer Rab, MBBS, Karin Sipido, MD, PhD, Eric Stecker, MD, and Brittany Weber, MD), the staff of the Scientific Publications Committee, and Bryony Mearns for their contributions to this Peer Review Task Force effort.
Keywords
- peer review
- preprints
- scientific communication
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine