Peer review must stay as guarantee of quality, research leaders tell MPs

The quality of scientific research can be guaranteed only by the continued use of peer review by journals, research leaders have told an inquiry by MPs.

Peer review, although not a perfect system, was the best option available, MPs on the parliamentary science and technology select committee heard on 8 June as part of their inquiry into peer review (BMJ 2011;342:d3046, doi:10.1136/bmj.d3046).

The committee’s chairman, Andrew Miller, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said that the research charity the Wellcome Trust had highlighted in its written evidence to the committee a “common criticism” that the peer review system could sometimes be slow and limit the emergence of new ideas that challenged established norms. Mr Miller asked the witnesses for …