Peer Review: Guide for Researchers

The Research Information Network has published in March 2010 a Guide to provide researchers with an understanding of the peer review process and some of the current issues surrounding the debate about peer review

Download the Peer Review: Guide for researchers (16 pages)
Read more about the Guide

The issues discuss are:

• What is peer review?
• How does it work?
• Support and criticism.
• Is it effective?
• Is it fair? Subjectivity and transparency
• Is it efficient? Speeding it up and lightening the burden
• New challenges and opportunities

U.S. Climate Change Report released: 27 May 2008

ScienceDaily (May 28, 2008) — The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) has released "Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 (SAP 4.3): The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States." The CCSP integrates the federal research efforts of 13 agencies on climate and global change. This report is one of the most extensive examinations of climate impacts on U.S. ecosystems.The report finds that climate change is already affecting U.S. water resources, agriculture, land resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so.

The report was written by 38 authors from the universities, national laboratories, non-governmental organizations, and federal service. The report underwent expert peer review by 14 scientists through a Federal Advisory Committee formed by the USDA. The National Center for Atmospheric Research also coordinated in the production of the report.

Click on the links to the report and the press release: 27 May 2008. Final Report is posted. See also press release (27 May 2008) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

NRF: 2007 Facts & Figures

In 2007 the National Research Foundation published its evaluation and rating research figures. It says "Universities should aspire to have at least 25% of their academic staff rated by the NRF to be regarded as a research-intensive university".

* In 2005 the top 10 Universities in SA in terms of percentage of their research/instruction staff with a valid NRF rating are: UCT, Stellenbosh, WITS, Rhodes, UWC, UFS, UP, NWU, UKZN, Nelson Mandela.

* According to the report in 2006 the number of rated researchers in Natural Sciences & Engineering were: UCT - 196; UP- 154; Stellenbosh - 151; WITS - 135; UKZN - 102; NWU - 56; UJ- 41, etc.

* The rated researchers in various rating categories per subject area in Natural Sciences & Engineering for 2006 are: Animal & Veterinary Sciences - 183; Health Sciences - 180; Engineering - 156; Mathematical Sciences - 139; Physics - 109; Earth Sciences - 98; Chemistry - 92; Plant Sciences - 89; Macrobiology and Plant Pathology - 68; Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology - 63; Forestry & Agricultural Sciences - 26.

* Percentage per rated researchers at institutions (2005), UJ- with 64 rated researchers and 917 professional/research professionals take the 11th place with 7.0%, compared to UCT - 31,6; Stellenbosh - 26.9; WITS - 16.9; UP - 11,2, etc.

Clich on the TITLE to access the full report. Find more information on: Nuts and Bolts of NRF Evaluation and Rating; The vital role of Expert reviewers; rationale for obtaining an NRF rating, How to apply for evaluation and rating, etc.

The World Resources 2005 - The Wealth of the Poor: Managing ecosystems to fight poverty

The latest 2005 edition of World Resources book is available online (Click on the TITLE for access). The book can be useful as reference source for UJ students and academics. See below a short Table of Content:

Part 1: The Wealth of the Poor

* Chapter 1: Nature, Power and Poverty

* Chapter 2: Ecosystems and the Livelihoods of the poor

* Chapter 3: The role of governance

* Chapter 4: Four steps to greater environmental income

* Chapter 5: Turning natural assets into wealth: Case Studies ( NATURE IN LOCAL HANDS: The Case for Namibia’s Conservancies; Regenerating Woodlands: Tanzania's HASHI Project)

* Special section - Global development policies: Making MDGs and PRSPs work for the poor and the environment

Part 2: Data Tables (The World Resources 2005 data tables present information for 155 countries). The following statistics are available: Population & Education; Human Health; Gender & Development; Income & Poverty; Economics & Financial Flows; Institutions & Governance; Energy; Climate & Atmosphere; Water Resources & Fisheries; Biodiversity; Land Use & Human Settlements; Food & Agriculture.

References

Other direct link is available under "E-books" on the left side of this blog.

New from UN: Climate Change 2007, The Synthesis Report

Follow up the 21/11/2007 post on this topic.

The Synthesis Report was launched in Valencia, Spain, on 17 November 2007 during a press conference. Click on the TITLE to view the latest information.

Summary for Policymakers of the Synthesis Report (23 pages draft, 16 November 2007): http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf

Links to the different IPCC Reports:

* The IPCC Working Group I assesses the physical scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change. Its latest report "Climate Change 2007 - The Physical Science Basis" was launched on 2 February 2007 in Paris.

* The IPCC Working Group II assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it. Its latest report "Climate Change 2007 - Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" was launched on 6 April 2007 in Paris.

* The IPCC Working Group III assesses options for mitigating climate change through limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing activities that remove them from the atmosphere. Its latest report, "Climate Change 2007 - Mitigation of Climate Change" was launched on 4 May 2007 in Bangkok.

The UJ Library purchase this year the "Climate Change 2001" reports.

First-ever 'State Of The Carbon Cycle Report' Finds Troubling Imbalance

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2007) — The first "State of the Carbon Cycle Report" for North America, released online this week by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, finds the continent's carbon budget increasingly overwhelmed by human-caused emissions. North American sources release nearly 2 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year, mostly as carbon dioxide. Carbon "sinks" such as growing forests may remove up to half this amount, but these current sinks may turn into new sources as climate changes.Click on the TITLE to view the full article.

The full report, Draft 4, May 2007 is available under "Environmental Science" topic on the left side of this web page.