27 July 2000
A Note on the Process of Peer-Review:
"Written dissemination of information is an essential part of science. As biologists, we are all or will be
authors. But our commitment to publication does not end there; we also are or will be called on to provide peer
review of manuscripts submitted to journals" (Waser et. al. 1992). Constructive criticism was not something
I had associated with the scientific process. Because of a discussion during my summer 2000 internship, I realized that peer review falls under social responsibility of a scientist. At this discussion, several people
who serve as journal editors were present. The dialogue focused on the scientific community. Peer reviewers are
usually called upon after they have had a paper published. It is an important system to check data and confirm
journals contain and present the highest quality information possible. They also mentioned "gray literature"
which is put out primarily by government agencies and done without peer review. The result is sloppy, misinformation!
How can citizens trust that? Therefore, demanding review of information before it is presented to the public, and
willing to be a reviewer are responsibilities of biologists. Being a reviewer is also a great way to keep up in
your field of interest.
Waser, Nickolas M., Price, Mary V., and Grosberg, Richard K. 1992. Writing an Effective Manuscript Review. BioScience. 42(8), 621-623.