| [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Thread Index] | [Date Prev] | [Date Next] | [Date Index] |
Stefan Bengston writes, a propos of Richard Cowen's posting a manuscript to the Internet: >This is important enough that you should be blasted on Paleonet rather than >just by direct e-mail, Richard. The temptation is great to shortcut the >slow publishing process of the regular journals, particularly the >paper-based ones (still the majority and the only ones usually recognized >by Academia). But we shouldn't yield to it, at least not in this way! An important distinction is that Dr. Cowen stated he was posting a _manuscript_. He did not represent it as an electronic publication. I interpreted his post as an invitation to review and input that could be incorporated in -- and potentially improve -- the ultimately published paper (although he does refer to this version of the ms as his "final shot"). He suggests that, if cited, it be regarded as a personal communication, with all that implies for evaluation of the contained information. If we want to talk about circumvention of peer review, a more significant concern (and one already long with us) has to do with meeting symposia and invited-paper festschrifts. (I hasten to add that I know nothing about the procedures underlying the "Valentine Festschrift" and take at face value Dr. Cowen's statement that his manuscript was "reviewed and revised.") But when mere participation in a meeting is a guarantee of publication in a resulting volume, clearly the appropriate filters are not in place. (I'm just now trying to do damage control after a truly dreadful paper in my specialty -- and one that could not have passed any meaningful, objective peer review -- appeared in just such a volume.) Barry Roth barryr@ucmp1.berkeley.edu Research Associate, Museum of Paleontology University of California, Berkeley, CA 94117 USA (415) 387-8538
Partial index: