Peer Review Part V.
Michael Gochfeld
gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Thu Oct 5 11:14:49 EDT 2000
After hitting "send" I thought of two more points. There are reviewers
who feel that they have a major campaign to cleanse the scientific
literature and rid it of less than superior products. If there were
consensus that there own contributions were above reproach this might be
tolerable, but it makes for hostile and often non-constructive reviews.
It was particularly devastating to one graduate student I know who has
never submitted anything again (but is doing good work in the
conservation sector).
So from all this I conclude that publishing in scientific journals is
not for the faint of heart or the thin of skin. Of to invoke a
popularism "if we can't stand the heat...."
I guess it's too bad it's like that, but with all things considered it
beats any other job I know of.
Mike Gochfeld
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