The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7233 p106
25 January 2003

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The Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.de)

Peer-review based on faith not fact

There is little evidence to support the use of peer-review to ensure quality of biomedical research reporting, say Cochrane researchers.

They reviewed studies assessing the effects of peer-review but found none that was methodologically convincing. "The practice of peer-review is based on faith in its effects, rather than on facts," they say.

Scientific summaries of Cochrane reviews are available on the internet (www.cochrane.de).