Peer Review Week 2023: How peer review supports sound science reporting
Ahead of this year’s Peer Review Week (25-29 September) Taylor & Francis and F1000 held a discussion with global experts spanning science and humanities research, science journalism and research communications. The lively conversation explored the future of publishing and public/media relations through the lens of peer review and how this helps provide the best science, both for further research and for the public understanding of science communication.
The discussion drew on the panels’ own experience of being peer reviewed and having their research reported in the media, as well as peer reviewing themselves. From the other side, science journalists and writers shared their experience of working with researchers, pre-prints and peer reviewed papers, and how this relates to communicating science, including complex data, to public audiences. There was also insider insight from Taylor & Francis’ own press office team who enlightened the audience on what balances and checks they work through in addition to peer review when picking and preparing research content for a media pitch or campaign.
From Covid to neuroscience, from misinformation to language groups, the discussion covered a range of examples about how the integrity of science is communicated and understood by the public, prompting engaging questions and further discussion from the audience. As one audience member commented:
“…a stellar panel who all brought a great array of perspectives and experience and were all very articulate, making for a great debate.”
The panel, chaired by Martin Wilson, Taylor & Francis’ Head of Content, former BBC Journalist and science program maker, comprised:
- Angeles Salles, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago; founder of Salles Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago
- Corey S. Powell, award-winning Science Writer, Editor, and Journalist; Co-Founder Open Mind; Science Rules Podcaster; former Editor-In-Chief, Discover
- Johann-Mattis List, Professor at the University of Passau, leading the Chair of Multilingual Computational Linguistics; Senior scientist in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Open Research Europe Community Gateway Advisor for Languages and Literature
- Simon Wesson, Press & Media Relations Manager, Taylor & Francis
- Timandra Harkness, writer, broadcaster and presenter; author, Big Data: does size matter?
Listen in to the full panel discussion below:
Learn more about the international panel.