Stem cell researchers claim some reviewers hamper publication of high quality research

doi:10.1136/bmj.c719

Published 4 February 2010, doi:10.1136/bmj.c719
Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c719

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Stem cell researchers claim some reviewers hamper publication of high quality research

Susan Mayor

¹ London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Leading stem cell researchers have expressed concern that somereviewers may be hampering publication of high quality researchin the field and are calling for a more open process of reviewto prevent this.

Their concerns echo those expressed in a letter sent last summerto the editors of science journals by 10 stem cell researchersfrom around the world. The letter claimed that "papers thatare scientifically flawed or comprise only modest technicalincrements often attract undue profile. At the same time publicationof truly original findings may be delayed or rejected" (http://eurostemcell.org/commentanalysis/peer-review).

The letter followed a major conference, the EuroSyStem/EuropeanMolecular Biology Organisation Conference on Advances in StemCell Research, at which researchers shared their frustrationat sometimes receiving what they considered to be "unreasonableor obstructive reviews." To improve the situation, they proposedthat when a paper is published, the reviews, response to reviewsand . . . [Full text of this article]

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