Demystifying Peer Review in Non-Profit Organizations
Peer review is a cornerstone of scientific publishing, but when the term is applied to a non-profit like the Alzheimer's Society, the meaning shifts. The organization itself, as a charity, is not a journal. Instead, its credibility and scientific rigor are demonstrated through the processes it uses to allocate funding and create public-facing information. When a researcher applies for a grant from the Alzheimer's Society, their proposal undergoes a multi-stage, independent peer-review process, which is how the organization ensures that only the most promising and scientifically sound projects receive support.
The Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Peer Review Process
Taking the Canadian model (ASRP) as an example, the peer-review process for grant funding is extensive and methodical. It operates through dedicated peer-review panels, typically split by focus, such as biomedical research or quality of life studies.
- Recruitment of Experts: Panels are composed of active, international scientists and researchers with specific expertise in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. These experts serve multi-year terms to ensure consistency and depth of knowledge.
- Assignment and Review: Each research application is assigned to a primary and secondary reviewer based on their area of expertise. Additional external reviewers can be brought in if specific knowledge is needed. Conflicts of interest are carefully managed to maintain impartiality.
- Rigorous Evaluation: Reviewers assess proposals based on several criteria, including scientific merit, methodological rigor, and relevance to the organization's mission. They score the application and provide a summary of its strengths and weaknesses.
- Committee Discussion and Consensus: The review panel meets to discuss the applications. Assigned reviewers present their assessments, and the panel works toward a consensus score for each proposal. Applications that do not meet a certain scientific threshold are eliminated.
- Final Recommendation: The panel's recommendations are forwarded to a governing body, like the Board of Directors, for final approval. The process is designed to be transparent and accountable.
Involving the Public: The Role of Citizen Reviewers
An additional layer of accountability, mentioned in the context of the ASRP, is the involvement of 'Citizen Reviewers'. These are members of the public with lived experience of dementia who provide feedback on the lay summaries of research applications. This unique step ensures the research remains relevant to the people it is meant to serve, adds a public accountability dimension, and ensures research questions and goals are communicated clearly and comprehensibly to a non-scientific audience.
The Difference Between Alzheimer's Society (UK) and Alzheimer's Association (US)
It is important to differentiate between the Alzheimer's Society (UK) and the Alzheimer's Association (US), as they are separate organizations. Both are major funders of dementia research, but their specific processes and publications differ. While both rely on peer review for their grant funding programs, the U.S. Alzheimer's Association also publishes several peer-reviewed journals, including Alzheimer's & Dementia®. This flagship journal and its companion publications undergo traditional academic peer review by independent experts before articles are published. The UK Alzheimer's Society focuses on funding research that is then published by the researchers in independent, peer-reviewed scientific journals, rather than publishing its own.
| Feature | Alzheimer's Society (UK) | Alzheimer's Association (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Funding Process | Utilizes an expert grant panel, including researchers and people affected by dementia, for rigorous assessment of applications before funding is allocated. | Funds independent researchers globally; grant funding is peer-reviewed by an international network of scientists. |
| Journal Publications | Does not publish its own suite of peer-reviewed journals. Funded research is published in external academic journals by the researchers. | Publishes a family of peer-reviewed journals, including Alzheimer's & Dementia®, showcasing scientific knowledge. |
| Public Involvement | Employs Research Network Volunteers with lived experience of dementia to review and monitor research projects. | Actively involves stakeholders, including patients and advocacy groups, in shaping research agendas and clinical guidelines. |
Beyond Research: Ensuring Quality in Information
For the information it provides to the public, such as factsheets and guides, the Alzheimer's Society has a separate, but equally rigorous, quality-control process. This involves an in-house team of dementia experts reviewing all information every three years. The process ensures content is accurate, up-to-date, based on reliable evidence, and tailored to the needs of people affected by dementia. Like its research program, this demonstrates a commitment to credibility and trustworthiness, essential for building public confidence.
Why the Distinction Matters
For the public, understanding this distinction is key to trusting the source. Knowing that a non-profit's research has been vetted by external experts provides assurance that donations are supporting high-caliber science, not just institutional preferences. It means the findings that ultimately emerge from this funded work have met the highest standards of the scientific community before being widely disseminated. This fosters confidence in the organization and reinforces the importance of peer review in scientific advancement.
The Alzheimer's Society, and similar organizations, ensure the quality of their funded work through transparent and robust peer-review processes. While not a peer-reviewed publisher in the traditional sense, their commitment to using independent expert panels for grants confirms their dedication to supporting reliable and impactful dementia research. You can find more detailed information on the specific process used by the Alzheimer Society of Canada here: How Alzheimer Society Research Program funding gets determined.
A Conclusive Look at Credibility
In conclusion, while the Alzheimer's Society does not undergo peer review itself, the organization actively promotes and ensures scientific integrity through its robust, peer-reviewed grant funding process. This commitment to external validation and a transparent review mechanism confirms that the research it supports is of the highest possible quality. For anyone questioning the credibility of the research supported by the Alzheimer's Society, the answer lies in its clear, publicly available policies on peer review for grant applications.
