Peer Review in the Dock

Synopsis

Mark Whitaker investigates the tarnished image of a flawed process. Peer Review is supposed to be the keystone of quality control for research projects and academic studies, yet evidence of its many deficiencies has been building up for over 20 years. American lawyers have started challenging expert witnesses on the basis that peer review no longer guarantees their expertise. Yet accurate peer review in fields such as medicine can be a matter of life and death.

Contributors:

Prof Drummond Rennie, deputy editor Journal of the American Medical Association (OCNF)
Sir Iain Chalmers, director, James Lind Library (OCNF)
Fiona Godlee, editor British Medical Journal (OCNF)
Doug Altman, Centre of Statistics in Medicine, Oxford (OCNF)
Stephen Lock, retired editor BMJ (OCNF)
Richard Smith, retired editor BMJ (OCNF)
Prof David Rosner, City University New York
Prof Gerald Markowicz
Ray Persons, senior attorney, King and Spalding, Atlanta GA (OCNF)
Paul Green (OC) and Roy Carruthers (OC), actors, RBA Management

A Square Dog production for BBC Radio 4.