October 27, 2014 – Needham, MA -- PRE (Peer Review Evaluation) has agreed to help sponsor Peer Review: the Nuts and Bolts, a workshop organized by Sense About Science to be held at the University of St. Andrews on November 21, 2014.
This event is the latest in Sense About Science's Voice of Young Science program and is open to early career researchers in all the science disciplines. The free, half-day workshop will explore how peer review works, how to get involved, the challenges to the system, and the role of peer review in helping the public to evaluate research claims.
"We're delighted to be working with Sense about Science to support their Voice of Young Science Program," said Adam Etkin, Founder and Managing Director of PRE. "This event is perfectly aligned with our mission to encourage peer review training and support open debate regarding the role of peer review in science and society."
Speakers at the workshop will include Professor Verity Brown, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews; Irene Hames, Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) alumni, COPE Council 2010-2013, and independent editorial consultant and adviser to the publishing, higher education and research sectors; Stephanie Harriman, Deputy Medical Editor, BioMed Central; Victoria Murphy, program manager for Sense About Science.
"Peer review is an essential arbiter of scientific quality," commented Victoria Murphy, "so it's important that we give early career researchers the opportunity to discuss the challenges to peer review, and help answer their questions surrounding it. With increasing amounts of scientific information being put into the public domain, it can be difficult to judge which research claims should be taken seriously. Asking 'was it peer- reviewed?' helps people to query the status of science and research reported in the media."
Those interested in attending the workshop can apply by sending a CV and cover letter that includes reasons for applying and stating any relevant affiliations to Victoria Murphy, vmurphy@senseaboutscience.org. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 29th October. Those unable to attend will have the option of participating online via streaming video. Please visit http://www.senseaboutscience.org for more information.
###
About PRE:
PRE (Peer Review Evaluation) is a suite of services designed to secure trust and transparency in peer review. PRE's flagship service, PRE-val, enables researchers, publishers, and librarians to evaluate the rigor of peer review at the journal and article level.
About Sense About Science:
Sense About Science is a registered charity founded in 2002, to equip people to make sense of science and evidence. We help the public and policy makers in their use of scientific evidence. We tackle misconceptions and respond to public questions on scientific and medical issues. With over 6,000 scientists, from Nobel Prize winners to postdocs, we work in partnership with scientific bodies, research publishers, policy makers, the public and the media, to change public discussions about science and evidence. Through award-winning public campaigns, we share the tools of scientific thinking and scrutiny, including peer review. Our activities and publications are used and shaped by community groups, policy makers, civic bodies, patient organisations, information services, writers, publishers, educators and health services.
About Voice of Young Science Program:
The Voice of Young Science (VoYS) program encourages early career researchers, engineers, medics and scientists to take an active role in public debates about science. Ten years of engaging with early career researchers as part of our VoYS program has shown us that early career researchers want to find out about peer review, how to get involved in reviewing, and what to make of public discussions about fraud and misleading research claims in science and medicine. As part of the program we hold 'Peer Review: The Nuts & Bolts' workshops to answer these questions and encourage researchers to share with the public the question: Is it peer reviewed? Participants go on to form the VoYS network, an active group of early career researchers who tackle misconceptions, challenge pseudoscientific product claims and respond to misinformation in all kinds of media.
About STRIATUS:
STRIATUS produces a family of print and online publications and learning products. The flagship publication, The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, traces its origins back to the 1889 Transactions of the American Orthopedic Association, and is the gold standard in peer-reviewed scientific information in the field. Other publications include JBJS Case Connector, JBJS Essential Surgical Techniques, and JBJS Reviews. STRIATUS also produces online Continuing Medical Education activities and, within the STM/Data Division, develops products and services such as PRE (Peer Review Evaluation) and SocialCite, which assist the entire scholarly community.