Peer review practice

Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Research-Management and Peer-Review Practices (2000)... 

Before you engage in authentic peer review (when a classmate reviews your Methods section and you review a classmate s Methods section), practice the peer-review process. Imagine that a classmate or colleague has asked you for feedback on a draft of a Methods section. See "Peer Review Practice Methods Section" at the end of the chapter fora copy of the draft, background information, and instructions for completing the task. 

Imagine that a colleague has asked you to review a draft of a Discussion section. Based on what you have learned in this chapter, read the draft, background information, and instructions at the end of this chapter under "Peer Review Practice Discussion Section" and provide written feedback. 

Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) on compact disc from the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (can buy at CCOHS web site). "The HSDB(R) (Hazardous Substances Data Bank(R)) database contains data profiles on 4,500 potentially toxic chemical substances. It is created and updated by specialists at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Compiled from an extensive range of authoritative sources, HSDB is widely recognized as a reliable and practical source of health and safety information. Much of the data is peer reviewed. 

In theory, all microscopic evaluations should be performed blind (without the pathologist knowing from which dose group a particular animal came), but this is difficult to do in practice and such an approach frequently degrades the quality of the evaluation. Like all the other portions of data in the study, proper evaluation benefits from having access to all data that addresses the relevance, severity, timing, and potential mechanisms of a specific toxicity. Blind examination is best applied in peer review or consultations on specific findings. 

Even though usually less explicit, this practice is very common whether one considers bona fide, peer reviewed, scientific reports or official public health protection documents<39). The scientific literature is full of subtle practices of the genre. Tables, for instance, contain entries which are footnoted or otherwise marked to indicate significance based on the magic p<.05(40-44). ... 

The importance of undertaking a careful detailed autopsy on each animal cannot be overemphasised. Organs should be sectioned in a standard manner. The pathologist should adopt a consistent nomenclature and a peer review of the slides has become an accepted part of Good Laboratory Practice. 

D Describe numerical methods 3E Practice peer review 3F Fine-tune your Methods section... 

E Draft your full Introduction 6F Practice peer review 6G Fine-tune your Introduction... 

After thoroughly reviewing your own work, it is common practice to have your work reviewed by a peer or colleague. A "new set of eyes" will pick up mistakes that you can no longer see because you are too familiar with your own writing. To facilitate this process, use the Peer Review Memo on the Write Like a Chemist Neb site. After your paper has been reviewed (and you have reviewed another s paper), make final changes in your Introduction section. 

A Read titles and abstracts 7B Prepare to write 7C Write your abstract 7D Write your title 7E Practice peer review 7F Fine-tune your abstract and title... 

After practicing the peer review process with the abstract and titie at the end of the chapter, soiicit feedback on your own abstract and titie from a peer. 

Approximately half of the documents in the site have been published in the Journal of Chemical Education where they are permanently archived, http //jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCEDLib/index.html. The JCE Digital Library Collection (JCE DLib) contains both peer reviewed and open access documents. Usage policy for these documents follows standard practice for JCE. Faculty may distribute copies of the documents to students in their classes if they have a JCE subscription or their campus has an IP based subscription to the Journal. Students have access to documents through a campus IP based subscription. 

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