On Mon, 06 Mar 2000 22:39:48 Reese wrote:
>
>>There seems to be a widespread misconception that "peer review" refers
>>to a process in which the material to be reviewed is thrown open to
>>the public. In fact the term is more restrictive and means a review by
>>a small number of selected experts in the field. Here is a description
>>from http://www.mcb.co.uk/services/articles/literati/peer/peerrev.htm:
>
>I see this as one implementation of peer review
it is the one most people who consider when they think
of the concept. if you wish to add additional meanings
you need to note that up front, as in "my theory of peer
review states..."
however, your implimentation undermines the whole
sanctity of peer review. peer review is not meant
to give credence to the general population, although
it may, but rather to atest to a certain level of
professional scrutiny among those is a specific field.
*this* is not open to public scrutiny. as a physicist,
the observations of a layman are of little interest
when considering the latest and greatest developments
in the field...
>note that the writeup was
>tailored for articles submitted to a journal, there are other
>implementations. For example, Prof. John Lott offered his study on Guns
>and Crime to anyone who expressed an interest, whilst he was preparing it
>for the "Journal of Legal Studies." Copies were given to groups on either
>side of the gun debate and their feedback solicited - not a usual practice
>he notes, but evidence nonetheless of another implementation, one better
>suited for true "peer review." (More Guns, Less Crime, pp 122.)
yes, but even this is different from the kind of peer
review you suggested earlier. he was soliciting
feedback from known interested parties, which is not
the point of peer review. iow, he was using the writing
process as additional research, hoping to gain clarity
*not* trust...
ac
------------------------------------------------
krys, you live on in our memories
your life's promise merged with our own dreams
but when we heard you died we cried
no one could answer the question, "why?"
-- Oct 30 '99
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