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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Burns, Oregon » Range and Meadow Forage Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #200183
Title: Improving the Scientific Integrity of Nontechnical Publications

Author
item MAESTAS, JEREMY - USDA_NRCS
item HUGHES, JOHN - USFWS
item TOOMBS, THEODORE - ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE
item Davies, Kirk
item GREGG, MICHAEL - USFWS
item JOHNSON-NISTLER, CAROLYN - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item GILGERT, WENDELL - USDA-NRCS
item PETERSON, STEVEN - OREGON STATE UNVERSITY

Submitted to: Rangelands
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2006
Publication Date: 10/1/2006
Citation: Maestas, J.D., Hughes, J., Toombs, T.P., Davies, K.W., Gregg, M.A., Johnson-Nistler, C., Gilgert, W.C., Peterson, S.L. 2006. View Points: Improving the Scientific Integrity of Nontechnical Publications. Rangelands Oct. 2006. Pp. 32-33.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Recent articles in Rangelands reveal two points about nontechnical publications of the Society for Rangeland Management: 1) the need for a rigorous peer-review process in publishing issue papers, and 2) the need to clearly separate peer-reviewed literature from editorial articles in Rangelands. The recent issue paper titled “Ecology and Management of Sage-Grouse and Sage-Grouse Habitat”, did not undergo the peer-review process and contains many incorrect statements. The Society for Rangeland Management Board of Directors has recently adopting guidelines for the development of issue papers that should improve the rigor of these nontechnical publications. However, Rangelands currently publishes non-peer-reviewed and peer-reviewed articles in each issue without a clear separation of the two. We suggest non-peer-reviewed articles be considered editorials and not be interspersed among peer-reviewed literature in Rangelands. We also recommend all articles published in the “Feature Articles” department be peer-reviewed.