2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Peer Review for Public Trust

Relative to many other societal endeavors, science has often been considered a relatively self-correcting, self-policing enterprise. Nevertheless, there have been widely reported shortcomings, such as challenges with transparency and reproducibility, as well as outright falsification of findings. Erosion of public trust in science due to such issues has the potential to be devastating. How can the scientific community cultivate and maintain public trust? One foundational element – and strength – of science has been peer review, in all its shapes and sizes. It informs the allocation of precious research resources, drives journal publications, and influences the use of scientific knowledge in public policy. But of course, peer review is not a perfect system; its limitations have long been recognized. As science and societies change, and new models of peer review emerge, what should the scientific community be doing to decide whether and how to use peer review to maintain quality, integrity, and trust in science?