[Journal] OSGeo Journal - Fall 2012 Peer Review Issue

[Helena Mitasova]

On Apr 25, 2012, at 1:38 PM, Landon Blake wrote:

> 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

I have compiled set of reviewer questions based on various GIS-related journals 
to use in my class where students review their classmate's papers:
http://courses.ncsu.edu/mea792/common/Assign_GISamodel/reviewer_instr.txt

This is pretty close to what is generally used by peer reviewed journals so
we could adopt something similar. I don't think that more extensive guidelines are
needed (although some journals have much more detailed instructions).

> 
> - Does the author of a peer reviewed article have an obligation to
> respond and make changes based on a peer review?

yes, that is why we have the peer review process. If the author does not agree
with reviewer, he/she needs to explain in the answer why the suggested change 
is not appropriate.

> Who makes the final
> decision in the event of a conflict or disagreement? Should this be
> done by some sort of peer review committee?

The final decision is done by the journal editor. He may send the manuscript
for additional review if he does not have enough information to make the decision.
Committee is not needed.

> 
> - 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?

we can try to be the one, but you don't want to make the articles too simplistic -
that would be more suitable for a magazine style publication.
> 
> 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.

I can certainly do some reviews but you can also invite a guest editor for the issue -
maybe Dan Ames would be interested ? (I will be traveling quite a bit this summer and fall 
so I won't be able to take a more active role but I can help).
> 
> Please share with me your thoughts on the questions I've posed here,
> and then we can determine our next steps.

Thank you for keeping the journal going,

Helena
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Landon
> _______________________________________________
> newsletter mailing list
> newsletter at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/newsletter


Helena Mitasova
Associate Professor
Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
2800 Faucette Drive, Rm. 1125 Jordan Hall
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8208
hmitaso at ncsu.edu

"All electronic mail messages in connection with State business which are sent to or received by this account are subject to the NC Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.”