Can These Results Be Trusted: The Peer Review Process and Its Role in Quality Assurance

摘要

Findings of rigorously conducted research studies serve as the essential foundation of evidence-based practice. Health care providers, regardless of discipline, rely on conference presentations and journal publications to learn about the latest research findings that can be used to motivate and shape their care. Within this context, a critical question emerges: Can the findings be trusted? The peer review process is widely viewed as an essential corner stone in science that functions to ensure the quality of scientific presentations and publications. Peer review refers to the formal objective evaluation of an abstract or manuscript by an expert in the field.