At 15:34 05.06.97 GMT, you wrote: >For over a year ago, there was a debate in FISH-ECOLOGY about >timely publications. I understand, from a few editors, this >issue is getting worse as time passes and the conventional >publishing system seems to be useless: > >- Does any one have any unconventional suggestions here ?
Fish-Folks, I have an unconvential suggestion. Many authors send their first drafts of manuscripts to colleagues and ask for first criticisms and suggestions (before submitting the ms to any journal). If these colleagues will write a formal 'referees report', these reports and the answers of the authors could be sent to the journal's editors together with the manuscripts. Then the editor may decide whether a further reviewer is neccessary or not. This procedure would shorten the time delay. In addition, the suggestions of colleagues who are very familiar with the special topic of the paper are sometimes more helpful than any criticism by 'senior' scientists. This also would result in the fact that more young colleagues (PhD-students, young post-docs) have the opportunity to being involved in the reviewing process.
Cheers Thomas =============================================== Achtung: Neue Postleitzahl/New city code!!!
Dr. Thomas Mehner Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Dept. Biology & Ecology of Fishes POB 850119 D-12561 Berlin Germany
Phone: ++49/(0)30/641 81 613 Fax: ++49/(0)30/641 81 750 e-mail: [log in to unmask] more information: http://www.igb-berlin.de/www/abt4/oki/mehner.htm PEG-proceedings: http://www.igb-berlin.de/www/abt4/oki/PEG-proceedings.htm
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