Reviewing appeals
Reviewing appeals : Article : Nature Immunology
This month's Nature Immunology editorial (8, 541; 2007 -- link above); which is freely available, describes the journal's peer-review process and how it deals with appeals against decisions not to publish a submitted paper. This process is similar in all the Nature journals that publish original scientific research. From the editorial:
We believe that constructive critiques made during the review process improve manuscript quality, whether the manuscript is ultimately published in Nature Immunology or in another journal. Clarification of the review and appeal processes, as provided here, should assist authors in their preparation of manuscripts. We hope that by offering this advice to authors we can lessen frustration should a negative decision be rendered.
The full text of the editorial can be accessed via the link at the top of this post. Comments are welcome.
Comments
Manuscripts submitted to Nature and other journals are often flawed or inadequate, because authors are, after all, human. What is often forgotten is that so are referees and even editors. I congratulate Nature on setting up an appeals procedure. I know of a recent case in which an editor of another eminent British journal recently reacted to a polite request for a second opinion, after a rejection based on a single, demonstrably incorrect referee’s report, with blustering outrage, although the authors clearly had a valid point and explained it clearly and reasonably. That certainly isn’t fair.
Posted by: Andrew M. Colman | August 24, 2007 02:06 PM