While in no way doubting Nadine's piece of advice about identity of referees, I
share Dennis's astonishment. The advice, as qyuoted, is in one sense neat, but
it is also ... daft. The point was made in the JISC workshops as early as
February that all previous advice had referred to the need to remove text which
*indicated* the identity of the referee (if the referee was unwilling to
release the whole thing). We all immediately saw the absurdity of poring over a
text to work out if any given word would give the game (or name) away.
Besides, if someone has asked two people to provide a reference, and then asks
for a copy, (s)he would not need to be exactly brilliant to work out which was
which! The idea that one might merely remove the name ("the actual identity")
makes a mockery of the process.
I had for some time thought that we were all getting steamed up about something
not too important here, but - particularly in view of the extremely sensible
and helpful advice which has come out about Alumnus offices, etc - maybe there
is still scope for some further explicit lobbying and advice on this one.
----------------------
Dr Trevor Field
Senior Assistant Secretary
University of Aberdeen
++44 (0)1224 272077
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|