Nature Network articles on the editing process and profession
Maxine Clarke
Monday, 11 May 2009 10:44 UTC
There are two very nice recent articles at Nature Network about aspects of the editorial process, so I thought I’d mention them here.
One is at Mind the Gap, Jenny Rohn’s blog, In which I defend the editorial profession – belatedly.
The second is by Henry Gee, a Nature editor, at his renamed “I, Editor” blog. The post is called What I think about when I think about manuscripts.
I highly recommend these posts for their readable insights into the publication process.
-
Replies
-
Thanks Maxine. I’ve also been colloguing with NN member Viviane Callier in preparation for a blog on an editor’s view of the peer review process. Coming to a blog near you soon.
-
Maxine,
Thanks so much for listing these here. I got the message b/c of forum membership, and otherwise, would’ve missed them. The one by Henry Gee: wow! I laughed out loud at least three times and sent it to the summer crew I teach with. Great stuff. And in Jenny Rohn’s post, I found myself doing the internal fist-pumping (another characteristic of Americans, though usually positively associated with moments combining identification and triumph) because teaching scientific prose across a variety of subfields is a lot like being an editor, with about the same social rewards;-). In all the years that I’ve helped students work out reasonably sane ways of understanding their own research let alone communicating it to another human being, I’ve only twice been acknowledged on a poster or in a paper…oh, dang, that sounded an awful lot like whining. But really, it was more intended in tone with Jenny’s piece: “…that certain editorial skills are different from the skills you need to be a good scientist – and it is not something one is automatically good at. It is an entirely different profession requiring talents that do not completely overlap”. I have, though, received a couple of perfectly lovely emails from students after they graduated thanking me for the skills picked up in class.
In any case, thanks again.
-
You are welcome, Mickey, and thank you for the lovely feedback. I only wish I could write like Jenny and Henry, but that’s another story….
Looking forward to the peer-review piece, Henry.
-
I’ve also been colloguing with NN member Viviane Callier in preparation for a blog on an editor’s view of the peer review process.
The End of the Peer [Review] Show?
-
I sincerely hope not, Bob.
-
