Peer Review Dephasing

[Ricardo Moro]

I have publish a couple dozen papers and books and I have 
been subjected to most basic issues concerning to the routine of 
getting a paper published. I have reviewed a few papers too. Here 
is my little piece of mind if it can be of any use:

There are 3 different issues relating the problem:

A) The relative qualities of different media to diseminate 
information. Even though a monitor image quality is poor it still 
beats the photocopies we all use in the lab or office. Also, the 
computer works in colour, which is not the case with most 
journals or library photocopiers. In summary, I would rather have 
a 1024 x 768 pixel colour picture available on my computer than a 
B&W photocopy lying around the lab.

B) The process of peer reviewing sucks, mostly because it is 
tainted with political convenience. Peers are not such, they are 
the masters that determine whether you have a career or not. How 
about this equation: PEER=REFEREE ?

C) The object of publishing is NOT anymore to diseminate 
infomration, but is the currency we scientists use to determine 
our worth. I find that disgusting.

Ricardo Moro, Vancouver.

-- 
Ricardo Moro