Dear All,

The Geological Society is responding to the House of Commons
Science and Technology Committee's enquiry into "Peer Review"
and would welcome BGA members' input.  Please do send
any comments you have to [log in to unmask] where Nic Bilham
will consider them.  Let me know ASAP if you feel very strongly that
the BGA should make a geophysics-specific submission, and what
it should say if so, so that we can discuss it at the BGA Committee
meeting on Thursday.

Deadline for GeolSoc - 10 am Monday 28th February.

HofC S&T website for this enquiry:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/news/110127-new-inquiry---peer-review/

Regards,

Sheila Peacock,
Secretary, BGA.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Geological Society Consultation Response - Peer Review
Date: 	Fri, 4 Feb 2011 21:24:56 -0000
From: 	policy <[log in to unmask]>
To: 	Regional Group Secretaries <[log in to unmask]>, Regional Group Chairs <[log in to unmask]>, Specialist Group Secretaries <[log in to unmask]>, Specialist Group Chairs <[log in to unmask]>



Dear Chairs and Secretaries of Geological Society Specialist and Regional Groups,
Joint Associations and Commissions

The Geological Society will be responding to the House of Commons Science and
Technology Committee inquiry into peer review (see below). If your group would
like to be involved in developing the Society’s response, please write to this
address ([log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>) as soon as possible,
or contact Sarah Day ([log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>)
who will be drafting the response. You are also most welcome to send any comments
in a personal capacity. This message has also been sent to those Fellows who
have signed up to be notified of Geological Society responses to consultations,
to Council and to our External Relations Committee.

Please remember to keep me informed of any responses or public statement your
group intends to make, or if you hear of a consultation which you think the
Geological Society should be aware of.

To minimise email traffic, please do not ‘reply to all’.

With thanks and best wishes

Nic

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has announced an inquiry
into peer review. The Geological Society is planning to make a response.

The guidance from the Committee is as follows:

The committee invites evidence on the operation and effectiveness of the peer
review process used to examine and validate scientific results and papers prior
to publication. The Committee welcomes submissions on all aspect of the process
and among the issues it is likely to examine are the following:

1. the strengths and weaknesses of peer review as a quality control mechanism
for scientists, publishers and the public;

2. measures to strengthen peer review;

3. the value and use of peer reviewed science on advancing and testing
scientific knowledge;

4. the value and use of peer reviewed science in informing public
debate;

5. the extent to which peer review varies between scientific disciplines and
between countries across the world;

6. the processes by which reviewers with the requisite skills and knowledge
are identified, in particular as the volume of multi-disciplinary research increases;

7. the impact of IT and greater use of online resources on the peer
review process; and

8. possible alternatives to peer review.

The Committee welcomes submissions from scientists whose material has been
peer reviewed, those who commission peer reviews and those who carry
out peer review.

The deadline for written evidence is Thursday 10 March 2011. Fellows
wishing to contribute to the Society’s response should write to
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> by 10am on
Monday 28 February. You should indicate your interest(s) in peer
review – whether as someone who produces or consumes peer reviewed
literature, as a participant in peer review processes, or as someone
who has been involved in establishing or running such processes. You
are of course welcome also to respond directly to the consultation
in an individual capacity.

You can read all recent Geological Society consultation responses at
www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations <http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations>.
Open consultations to which the Society plans to respond are also listed there.

Best wishes

Nic

_________________________________________

Nic Bilham
Head of Strategy and External Relations

Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Tel: +44 (0)20 7434 9944
Fax: +44 (0)20 7439 8975
Web: www.geolsoc.org.uk <file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\sarah.day\Local%20Settings\Temporary%20Internet%20Files\Content.Outlook\GN59SB0Z\www.geolsoc.org.uk>

The Geological Society
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London
W1J 0BG
_________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________

This email is confidential and is intended for the addressee(s) only. If you have received it in error, please do not reproduce or disseminate the contents of this message; please contact us by return email, or by telephone on +44 (0)20 7434 9944, and delete this message and any copies of it from your computer systems. The Society does not accept liability for individuals' opinions, advice or views expressed in this email. The Geological Society of London is a registered charity, number 210161, registered address Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BG.

This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Star Internet. The service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: http://www.star.net.uk
________________________________________________________________________