Peer review and the changing research record

Misrepresentation in research is clearly a problem today. In the environment of big science, with accelerating competition, increased rewards for discovery and uncertainties of long-range outcome, two important checks on quality control—peer review and the replication of results—are more difficult to accomplish effectively. Additionally, the new information technology now enables scientists to communicate outside established channels where their work is judged. However, it is argued that science is a self-correcting system and errors that are inadvertent or deliberate will be corrected over time. © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.