Peer review design and p-hacking: evidence from a policy shift to single-blind review

Key Points

• This paper aims to assess the impact of transitioning from double-blind to single-blind peer review on p-hacking prevalence.
• Analyzed articles published in the American Economic Review before and after the policy change in 2011.
• Compared rates of p-hacking in the two review systems.
• Evaluated the disclosure of author identities and its effects on research practices.
• No significant change in the prevalence of p-hacking observed post-policy shift.
• P-hacking rates remained consistent regardless of the peer review design.