[Journal] OSGeo Journal - Fall 2012 Peer Review Issue

[Landon Blake]

I've been thinking for a few weeks about our Fall 2012 Peer Review
Issue. I'm not part of academia, and as a result I have a lot of
questions about how a peer review journal is supposed to work. I know
publishing papers in a peer review journal can be an important step
for students and teachers, and that is certainly something I want to
support. I don't want to kill us with unnecessary formality, but think
it might help me as an editor to have our peer review process a little
better defined.

Here are some of my questions about peer review as they apply to the
OSGeo Journal:

- Would it be possible to adopt some simple peer review guidelines? It
looks like there is a good amount of existing content we could draw
from: https://www.google.com/search?q=peer+review+guidelines

- Does the author of a peer reviewed article have an obligation to
respond and make changes based on a peer review? Who makes the final
decision in the event of a conflict or disagreement? Should this be
done by some sort of peer review committee?

- Many of the academic journal articles I read are not very easy
reading. I know the material can be complex, but are their successful
academic journals that encourage simple and plain-language writing
styles?

I'd like to start planning for our Fall 2012 Peer Review Issue of the
Journal now. I'll be looking for lots of help from members of our
volunteer team that come from Academia.

Please share with me your thoughts on the questions I've posed here,
and then we can determine our next steps.

Thanks.

Landon