Risks from self-referential peer review echo chambers developing in research fields: 2018 Keynote Address presented at The British Accounting Review 50th Anniversary Celebrations,British Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference,London |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, Department of Accounting, Finance and Banking, Manchester, M15 6BH, United Kingdom;2. Lancaster University Management School, Department of Accounting and Finance, Lancaster, LA1 4YX, United Kingdom;1. RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia;2. University of Winchester, Winchester, England, UK;1. School of Commerce, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia;2. Institute of Management Accountants, Montvale, NJ, USA;1. School of Accounting, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;2. Cardiff Business School, Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU, United Kingdom;3. Research Professor in Accounting, Adam Smith School of Business, The University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom;1. Kent Business School – University of Kent, Park Wood Rd, Canterbury, CT2 7FS, UK;2. School of Accounting – RMIT University, 445, Swanston Street, 3000, VIC, Australia;3. Department of Economics and Management, University of Pisa, Via Cosimo Ridolfi, 10, 56124, Pisa, Italy |
| |
| Abstract: | Denigration of academic experts and expertise, amid a resurgence of political populism, poses a challenge to the legitimacy of academic research. Addressing this challenge requires us to continually demonstrate the importance of basing policy interventions on reliable evidence, rather than unevidenced assertions that gain traction through communication echo chambers. However, unconscious confirmation biases in collection and analysis of evidence can impair the reliability of our research insights. A key source of such confirmation biases are unchallenged ideologies and other taken-for-granted assumptions underlying any research (sub)field. This essay argues that informal and formal peer review processes at many stages of research need to highlight and challenge both conscious selectivity bias and unconscious confirmation bias. However, they are unlikely to do so where researchers only take on board feedback from peers in the same (sub)field who share ideological commitments and taken-for-granted assumptions. In such circumstances, self-referential peer review echo chambers can develop that entrench rather than challenge weaknesses in a research (sub)field. This can be a major risk to the effectiveness and reputation of any academic research (sub)field; a risk we need to confront. |
| |
| Keywords: | Peer review Echo chambers Confirmation bias Research ideology |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
