Glossary
Peer review
Evaluation of a research paper by independent experts before a journal or conference publishes it.
In peer review, a journal or conference sends a submitted paper to experts in the field, who assess its methods, evidence, and conclusions and may request changes. Editors then decide whether to publish.
Peer review is a basic quality check, and a peer-reviewed paper carries more weight than a preprint or press release. It usually does not involve reviewers rerunning experiments or checking raw data, so errors and fraud can still get through.
"Peer-reviewed" also says nothing about whether a result has been replicated or whether a medical tool helps patients. Those need further studies.
Read more: our explainer
See also
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