[vsnet-chat 927] Re: LaTEX ?

[Seiichiro Kiyota <skiyota@abr.affrc.go.jp>]

In message "[vsnet-chat 925] Re: LaTEX ?",
Gary Poyner wrote...
 >
 >
 >On Sun, 10 May 1998, Taichi Kato wrote:
 >
 >>    I have heard the IBVS doesn't usually accept manuscripts based on
 >> visual observations (even heard of an author of being requested to
 >> remove visual data, by which the author intended to depict the outburst
 >> charactersitic).  I am curious to know whether the IBVS has changed the
 >> policy on visual observations.
 >
 >
 >I too have heard the same rumours, and would be very interested to know 
 >why this is the case if so true!
 >

They are not rumores.

Following is a part of announcement in 1996 from IBVS.
From IBVS web-site.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PAPERS BASED ON VISUAL DATA AND WARNING TO UNEXPERIENCED AUTHORS
Recently the issue was raised whether the Editors should review the adopted
policy ofnot accepting for publication any papers based solely on visual
estimates. Whereas the Editors recognise the value of fast dissemination of
good visual data, it should be stressed that it is not possible for the 
Editors and for the referees to assess the value and quality of every single
report with visual estimates of variable stars (see also the Editorial Note
to Contributing Authors, IBVS December 31, 1980). At the same time, visual 
observers should realise that, today, the turn-around time for IBVS 
manuscripts is certainly longer than is the case for some of the other modern
means of communication, such as electronic mail, bulletin boards and even 
printed notes such as the IAU Telegrams. Some amateur organisations|such as, 
for example, AAVSO, BAA, IAPPP may, in fact, serve as a clearing house for 
such manuscripts. In this case the submission procedure is as follows: 
the authors should first send their paper based on or containing visual data
to one of the above-mentioned organisations. Only after such attested scrutiny
can the manuscript be submitted for publication in the IBVS. The Editors, 
however, point out that, after such "clearing", the manuscripts will follow 
the regular editorial procedure that is, a first scrutiny by the editors, 
followed by an assessment by an independent referee. The editors, though, cannot assume any 
responsibility in possible con icts on authors' rights after such 
clearing has taken place; the authors themselves should judge whether the 
contribution of the advising person does or does not merit co-authorship. A related point of 
concern is the increasing number of manuscripts based on 
photoelectric data (photomultiplier and CCD) submitted by non-professional 
astronomers. Such manuscripts though often containing high-quality data are 
not always suitable for direct publication because non-scientific language is 
used. Thus, in the past, the Editors have had to put a lot of effort in 
upgrading and editing such papers. In the present situation, with a 
fast-growing number of submitted manuscripts covering an ever expanding area of
astrophysical research, the Editorial staff is in no position to continue this 
service. Since it is not the intention to refuse interesting papers on the 
basis of grammatical and stylistic arguments, the Editors encourage such 
authors to have their manuscripts "cleared" on the pre-refereeing level by a professional 
colleague who has more experience in writing scientific papers (this 
procedure is, actually, quite commonly adopted at scientific Institutes where 
authors help each other with proofreading manuscripts before submission).



------
ＭＥＩ／ＮＥＫＯ
ＣＢＡ，Ｔｓｕｋｕｂａ
http://vsnet.age.or.jp/x/meineko

VSNET Home Page

Return to Daisaku Nogami

---

vsnet-adm@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp