Control of the National Science Foundation Peer Review Study

Gao ID: HRD-77-67 March 4, 1977

A study to determine the scientific community's views of the National Science Foundation's peer review process was monitored. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 1,552 individuals who had reviewed research proposals for the Foundation in 1975 and to a random sample of 3,256 individuals who had submitted proposals in 1975. The questionnaires were returned by 69 percent of the reviewer sample and 82 percent of the applicant sample. The responses were processed by a Foundation contractor into a master data file containing the simple tabulated results. The Foundation created additional data from responses to questions concerning (1) institution which awarded respondents their highest academic degrees, and (2) the institutions with which respondents are currently affiliated. None of the errors in the master data file appear to affect the tabulated results, and it is probable that such errors are randomly distributed throughout the alternative choices of responses to a question.



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