10-5
Ethical Issues in Scientific Publishing
Peer Review
Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers Peer review is an essential component of science. Without peer review, there would be no oversight of what gets into print, and there would be no assurance that the data are reliable. Therefore, scientists have an obligation to participate in the peer review process and ensure that only reliable data get published. The primary responsibility of a peer reviewer is to protect against the publication of bad science and ensure the publication of good science. If a review is not fair, objective, and accurate, one of two things could happen. Either flawed data could be published or, just the reverse, valuable data might not be published. Either way, subsequent research would be seriously affected. The review process should be helpful, constructive, and productive. Reviewers should therefore always be collegial — polite — in their comments. Reviews are never the place for someone to show anger or strong criticism. It is also helpful for authors if reviews are organized, offer solutions and advice on how to correct problems, and look at both the big and little picture. (The chapter “Navigating the Peer Review Process” deals with effective ways to respond to peer reviewers’ comments.) Confidentiality of Data in Manuscripts under Review There is also a set of ethics that pertain to peer review. The following ethical guidelines are from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the National Institutes of Health: All material under review is privileged information . It should not be used to the benefit of the reviewer unless it previously has been made public. . . . Material under review shall not be copied and retained or used in any manner by the reviewer unless specifically permitted by the journal or reviewing organization and the author. In reviewing a manuscript, one must consider what the author expects — or better yet, what you expect as an author. As the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors states: “In submitting their manuscripts for review, authors entrust editors with the results of their scientific work and creative effort, on which their reputation and career may depend.”
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