Subject: PUBLISHING scientific papers (Bertrand).. Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 041411 -0500 (CDT) From: "Roy L. Beavers"To: emfguru -------------------------------------------------- This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. Send mail to mime@docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info. ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01BF2064.B2F851E0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=iso-8859-1 Content-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 10:19:05 +0200 From: Frank Bertrand To: "Roy L. Beavers" Subject: PUBLISHING. Dear Guru, Peter De Pippo has asked good questions. Firstly to give an overall reply, it is academic scientists who have (certainly in the medical and dental worlds) virtually stopped everybody else from publishing articles; the reasons most often given are that an article is not scientific, or that the references are not adequate. Peer review means academic review. Practitioners are virtually blocked out, although in the history of medicine, they have made great contributions; they are not scientists but clinicians, and are practical people. Some of the articles would require dozens of references, and the practitioner does not have the time or facilities to provide them. Academics often boast of the number of papers they have had printed, but many of these papers are re-hashes from previous papers. I qualified over 52 years ago, and I have observed how many academics have virtually taken over the health professions, and I think the same would apply in other disciplines. They control the health associations, and journals. It is rare for a practitioner to have an article published. Big finance also plays a great part, e.g. founding and funding professorial chairs, and politicians also have a part in this. When an investigation is made into a controversial topic, a team made up of academics and/or scientists is formed to carry out the investigation; it is really not necessary, as you can forecast the findings, which will be (using cell-phones)-- " Some alarming and exaggerated reports have been made re: the safety of cell-phones, the investigators have found no scientific grounds for these reports, but there may be a very minute percentage of users who, after many years, may experience some small clinical affects, so there will be continuous monitoring of cell-phones in the interests of safety; but the general public may rest assured that there is no danger when using cell-phones". What do the investigators get out of this? The review to publication process will generally kill off the paper. Independent researchers do not pay, and are not paid. Getting other outlets is extremely difficult. Papers read at symposia etc., should be regarded as being published. A blackout period is virtually permanent. Accurate research should carry legal merit, but does it? A researcher should not lose anything by giving an abstract to the emfguru web site, but be careful of plagiarism. In fact publishing papers on the internet, would be a very good thing to do, as it will be giving a stale room fresh air. If a paper is published, it does not necessarily mean that those who agreed to it being published, agree with it. It is often difficult to find who is doing research on what and where, but Guru could perhaps help here re: cell-phones. Your's sincerely, Frank Bertrand. ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01BF2064.B2F851E0-- Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com