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
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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