Spelling AWFUL. Knowledge nonexistent.


Quoting Brian Schnirel <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hello,
>
> In regards to the post of those of limited resources and notable
> recognition trying to publish new scientific material:
>
> In previous times, It was not necessary to be part of a privileged
> elite to publish new scientific discoveries. Indeed, if any question to
> the material presented was questionable, it would stand on it's own
> merit or fall in the course of time. Another simile would be our own
> government as originally intented. There was a center of town
> designated called the commons where one could express their views
> freely. Today, unless one is rich or famous, one is not heard. It was
> once said anyone could run for president. But unless one has proper
> noteriety or connections and has the vast financial resources
> available, it is a herculean task.
>
> One of the saddest aspects of our scientific world, in addition to
> ego's, is blockage of scientific information to the general public.
> There are many private and organizational that believe knowledge should
> be readily accessible to all - not hidden and excluded to those charged
> hundreds of dollars for a La Ti Ta membership. Think of the potential
> talent and useful information lost due to exclusion to others who can
> build and expand the knowledge. It is similar to the loss of half the
> population (female) over the centuries due to supression (Examples,
> Hypatia, Virginia Galileo, Fanny Mendleson). Anyone who goes through
> the trouble, time, and expense of extensive research should be heard.
>
> What is there to loose? What is there to gain?
>
> Sincerely,
> Brian L. Schnirel
> LCRC
>
> John Tucker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:  Dear Barry and others,
>
> The three most important elements to describing a new species are: Peer
> review, peer review, and peer review.
>
> Our problems come from three important sources: no peer review, no peer
> review, and no peer review.
>
> By peer review I mean anonymous independent outside reviewers not some
> ginned up editorial board.
>
> Yours,
>
>
> John K. Tucker
> -----Original message-----
> From: Barry Roth [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 22:31:49 -0500
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: naming shells
>
> I'll second the recommendation of "Describing Species" by Judith
> Winston, and not just because she used one of my land snail species
> descriptions as an example of how to do it. In fact I would place it
> above the International Code on the list of must-have books. Of course,
> one wants to be familiar with the rules and recommendations of the Code
> itself, but "Describing Species" really gives the nuts-and-bolts that a
> potential species author needs.
>
> Another element, previously discussed on this List but not much
> mentioned in the current threads, is the need for peer review. All
> responsible scholarly journals submit submitted manuscripts to review
> by third parties, and the value of this process for uncovering
> overlooked problems or suggesting ways for improving a paper cannot be
> overstated. Objections to the process ("I [the submitting author] know
> more about this new species than anyone else, so how can a reviewer
> help me?" -- and so forth) are cop-outs; and an editor often needs
> external opinions to come to a decision to publish or not to publish a
> submitted paper.
>
> Final observation: some posters write about "describing species and
> forms" as though that was the same process. Again -- the point made by
> so many before me: "forms," as infrasubspecific entities, are not
> covered by the rules of the ICZN and do not enter into formal
> zoological nomenclature. I suppose there really are no rules regarding
> naming "forms" -- caveat emptor.
>
> Barry Roth
>
> [log in to unmask] wrote:
> The next book is Judith E. Winston. 1999. Describing Species.
> Practical
> Taxonomic Procedure for Biologists. Columbia University Press, New
> York.
> xx + 518 pp.
>
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