A group of researchers funded by the NIH Post-GWAS Initiative have produced a draft standards document for the cancer genomics field entitled “Principles for the post-GWAS functional characterisation of risk loci” that can be found in preprint form at Nature Precedings archive. This document is intended for publication as a Perspective in Nature Genetics. Because field-specific criteria supported by broad consensus are more likely to be useful, we have decided to invite all stakeholders to become co-authors or peer referees of this document in place of editorially supervised peer review. This is very much an experiment, some editorial judgment may be needed, or formal expert review may or may not be needed in this case.

Background on the journal’s involvement in developing field-specific standards by soliciting community consensus can be found in two Editorials, “Discussing Standards” and “On beyond GWAS”.

To become a contributor you have several options:

1) Comment using the Nature Precedings comment function.

2) Email your comments and text to the corresponding authors at snpfunction(at)gmail.com whether or not you want to be considered for co-authorship.

3) Post your comments to the Nature Genetics blog freeassociation(at)natureny.com letting the moderator know whether you want your comments to be attributed to you or anonymous.

4) Although our aim is consensus, substantial distinct and dissenting perspectives may need to be submitted as preprints to Nature Precedings. These can be combined into a themed Collection of preprints that will not preclude their eventual publication in journals, for example as Correspondence.

Substantial conceptual contributions and substantial contributions to the writing of the submitted document will be acknowledged with authorship in the final document if submitted before the community review deadline, December 20th 2010. If you wish to contribute to the document as a referee only, you may stipulate that you do not want co-authorship.