Peer review versus editorial review and their role in innovative science.
Peer review is a widely accepted instrument for raising the quality of science. Peer review limits the enormous unstructured influx of information and the sheer amount of dubious data, which in its absence would plunge science into chaos. In particular, peer review offers the benefit of eliminating papers that suffer from poor craftsmanship or methodological shortcomings, especially in the experimental sciences. However, we believe that peer review is not always appropriate for the evaluation of controversial hypothetical science. We argue that the process of peer review can be prone to bias towards ideas that affirm the prior convictions of reviewers and against innovation and radical new ideas. Innovative hypotheses are thus highly vulnerable to being "filtered out" or made to accord with conventional wisdom by the peer review process. Consequently, having introduced peer review, the Elsevier journal Medical Hypotheses may be unable to continue its tradition as a radical journal allowing discussion of improbable or unconventional ideas. Hence we conclude by asking the publisher to consider re-introducing the system of editorial review to Medical Hypotheses.
Georg
G
Steinhauser
Wolfram
W
Adlassnig
Jesaka Ahau
JA
Risch
Serena
S
Anderlini
Petros
P
Arguriou
Aaron Zolen
AZ
Armendariz
William
W
Bains
Clark
C
Baker
Martin
M
Barnes
Jonathan
J
Barnett
Michael
M
Baumgartner
Thomas
T
Baumgartner
Charles A
CA
Bendall
Yvonne S
YS
Bender
Max
M
Bichler
Teresa
T
Biermann
Ronaldo
R
Bini
Eduardo
E
Blanco
John
J
Bleau
Anthony
A
Brink
Darin
D
Brown
Christopher
C
Burghuber
Roy
R
Calne
Brian
B
Carter
Cesar
C
Castaño
Peter
P
Celec
Maria Eugenia
ME
Celis
Nicky
N
Clarke
David
D
Cockrell
David
D
Collins
Brian
B
Coogan
Jennifer
J
Craig
Cal
C
Crilly
David
D
Crowe
Antonei B
AB
Csoka
Chaza
C
Darwich
Topiciprin
T
Del Kebos
Michele
M
Derinaldi
Bongani
B
Dlamini
Tomasz
T
Drewa
Michael
M
Dwyer
Fabienne
F
Eder
Raúl Ehrichs
RE
de Palma
Dean
D
Esmay
Catherine Evans
CE
Rött
Christopher
C
Exley
Robin
R
Falkov
Celia Ingrid
CI
Farber
William
W
Fearn
Sophie
S
Felsmann
Jarl
J
Flensmark
Andrew K
AK
Fletcher
Michaela
M
Foster
Kostas N
KN
Fountoulakis
Jim
J
Fouratt
Jesus Garcia
JG
Blanca
Manuel Garrido
MG
Sotelo
Florian
F
Gittler
Georg
G
Gittler
Juan
J
Gomez
Juan F
JF
Gomez
Maria Grazia Gonzales
MG
Polar
Jossina
J
Gonzalez
Christoph
C
Gösselsberger
Lynn
L
Habermacher
Michael
M
Hajek
Faith
F
Hakala
Mary-Sue
MS
Haliburton
John Robert
JR
Hankins
Jason
J
Hart
Sepp
S
Hasslberger
Donalyn
D
Hennessey
Andrea
A
Herrmann
Mike
M
Hersee
Connie
C
Howard
Suzanne
S
Humphries
Laeeth
L
Isharc
Petar
P
Ivanovski
Stephen
S
Jenuth
Jens
J
Jerndal
Christine
C
Johnson
Yonas
Y
Keleta
Anna
A
Kenny
Billie
B
Kidd
Fritz
F
Kohle
Jafar
J
Kolahi
Marianne
M
Koller-Peroutka
Lyubov
L
Kostova
Arunachalam
A
Kumar
Alejandro
A
Kurosawa
Tony
T
Lance
Michael
M
Lechermann
Bernhard
B
Lendl
Michael
M
Leuchters
Evan
E
Lewis
Edward
E
Lieb
Gloria
G
Lloyd
Angelika
A
Losek
Yao
Y
Lu
Saadia
S
Maestracci
Dennis
D
Mangan
Alberto W
AW
Mares
Juan Mazar
JM
Barnett
Valerie
V
McClain
John Sydney
JS
McNair
Terry
T
Michael
Lloyd
L
Miller
Partizia
P
Monzani
Belen
B
Moran
Mike
M
Morris
Georg
G
Mößmer
Johny
J
Mountain
Onnie Mary Moyo
OM
Phuthe
Marcos
M
Muñoz
Sheri
S
Nakken
Anne Nduta
AN
Wambui
Bettina
B
Neunteufl
Dimitrije
D
Nikolić
Devesh V
DV
Oberoi
Gregory
G
Obmode
Laura
L
Ogar
Jo
J
Ohara
Naion Olej
NO
Rybine
Bryan
B
Owen
Kim Wilson
KW
Owen
Rakesh
R
Parikh
Nicholas J G
NJ
Pearce
Bernhard
B
Pemmer
Chris
C
Piper
Ian
I
Prince
Terence
T
Reid
Heiner
H
Rindermann
Stefan
S
Risch
Josh
J
Robbins
Seth
S
Roberts
Ajeandro
A
Romero
Michael Thaddäus
MT
Rothe
Sergio
S
Ruiz
Juliane
J
Sacher
Wolfgang
W
Sackl
Markus
M
Salletmaier
Jairaj
J
Sanand
Clemens
C
Sauerzopf
Thomas
T
Schwarzgruber
David
D
Scott
Laura
L
Seegers
David
D
Seppi
Kyle
K
Shields
Jolanta
J
Siller-Matula
Beldeu
B
Singh
Sibusio
S
Sithole
Florian
F
Six
John R
JR
Skoyles
Jildou
J
Slofstra
Daphne Anne
DA
Sole
Werner F
WF
Sommer
Mels
M
Sonko
Chrislie J
CJ
Starr-Casanova
Marjorie Elizabeth
ME
Steakley
Wolfgang
W
Steinhauser
Konstantin
K
Steinhoff
Johannes H
JH
Sterba
Martin
M
Steppan
Reinhard
R
Stindl
Joe
J
Stokely
Karri
K
Stokely
Gilles
G
St-Pierre
James
J
Stratford
Christina
C
Streli
Carl
C
Stryg
Mike
M
Sullivan
Johann
J
Summhammer
Amhayes
A
Tadesse
David
D
Tavares
Laura
L
Thompson
Alison
A
Tomlinson
Jack
J
Tozer
Siro I
SI
Trevisanato
Michaela
M
Trimmel
Nicole
N
Turner
Paul
P
Vahur
Jennie
J
van der Byl
Tine
T
van der Maas
Leo
L
Varela
Carlos A
CA
Vega
Shiloh
S
Vermaak
Alex
A
Villasenor
Matt
M
Vogel
Georg
G
von Wintzigerode
Christoph
C
Wagner
Manuel
M
Weinberger
Peter
P
Weinberger
Nick
N
Wilson
Jennifer Finocchio
JF
Wolfe
Michael A
MA
Woodley
Ian
I
Young
Glenn
G
Zuraw
Nicole
N
Zwiren
D003405:Creativity; D035081:Editorial Policies; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D058028:Research Report; D012586:Science / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D015983:Selection Bias