Bentham Chem Physics Editor In Chief Resigns Over Inclusion of Herrit Paint Chip Article

[Bolo Boffin]

http://www.videnskab.dk/content/dk/naturvidenskab/chefredaktor_skrider_efter_kontroversiel_artikel_om_911&sl=da&tl=en

A google translate for now:

One of the most surprised is apparently chief editor of the magazine. Professor Marie-Paule Pileni hear the first article as videnskab.dk write to her to ask for her professional assessment of the content of the article. This email will get her right away to slam the door to the magazine.

"I resign as the editor in chief, says the short answer in an email to videnskab.dk.

Printed without permission
A phone call reveals that chief Marie-Paule Pileni never been informed that the article would be put at The Open Chemical Physics Journal, which is published by the journal juggernaut Bentham Science Publishers.

"They have printed the article without my authorization else, so when you wrote to me, I did not mean that the article was published. I can not accept, and I have written to Bentham, that I withdraw myself from all activities with them, "says Marie-Paule Pileni, which daily is a professor specializing in nanomaterials at the prestigious Université Pierre et Marie Curie in France.

Down further, she says that she wasn't qualified to judge the article's competence since it didn't actually concern chemical physics (!), but the way that the article was put into the journal caused her to resign. You know, how she had no idea that the article was going to be published and there it was?

This is no way to run a truth movement.

[Bolo Boffin]

1. Oh, and an acceptable derail of this topic

An actual material scientist explains why this is simply paint, using Herrit et al.'s own data:

http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=4659658&postcount=157

[LARED]

17. Amazing what actual expertise can tell you - nt.

[Fainter]

2. Yawn. Her Resignation Has Nothing To Do W/Sufficiency Of Jones' Work n/t

[AZCat]

3. No, but it does have to do with Bentham's publishing process.

Since the articles published in Bentham's journals have been pushed by certain members of the "truth movement" as "peer-reviewed" this has significant implications for that claim.

[Bolo Boffin]

4. A article being published without the knowledge of the editor in chief - that doesn't concern you?

Amazing.

[Bolo Boffin]

7. The paper is seeking to demonstrate its own sufficiency by passing peer review and being published.

This incident (the resignation of the editor over the article) is only addressing the sufficiency of Jones' work indirectly and it was not offered to combat that precisely. It was offered to combat the notion of Bentham being a worthy instrument to measure that sufficiency. With this resignation, Herritt et al. are back to the drawing board to demonstrate their own sufficiency.

And as the post of Sunstealer's I linked to shows, the paper demonstrates complete incompetence.

[OnTheOtherHand]

5. an interesting twist here

Your google translate identifies Pileni as "specializing in nanomaterials," yet according to your paraphrase, she considered that "she wasn't qualified to judge the article's competence."

I don't want to conclude too much based on crude translations from journalistic stories. But it seems to me these statements may have some bearing on the notion that 'highly credentialed scientists,' or even materials scientists, are automatically qualified to evaluate the technical content of the article.

[nemo137]

6. Because of the content of the article.

"she says that she wasn't qualified to judge the article's competence since it didn't actually concern chemical physics (!)"

It looks like the article in question wasn't the kind of thing one would find in that journal.

[OnTheOtherHand]

8. yes, and that is an interesting twist in itself

I'm curious to learn the rest of the story of how it came to be published there.

That said, whether the article was a good fit for the journal is somewhat distinguishable from whether she was qualified to judge it. Let me put it this way: if she had endorsed the article, some folks would (understandably) hasten to trumpet such an endorsement by a nanomaterials expert. Yet her response, apparently, was that she didn't know enough to evaluate it -- that her expertise lies in other aspects of nanomaterials.

Real experts understand what they don't know. Unfortunately, in the short run this restraint may sometimes leave the credulous at the mercy of "experts" who don't understand or don't care what they don't know.

[Bolo Boffin]

9. As it turns out

Bentham tells its "editors in chief" that they don't have to bother with any actual editing duties, unless they want to, as long as Bentham can hang your shingle out in front of the journal.

[OnTheOtherHand]

10. the mind reels

I can imagine an editor-in-chief who isn't responsible for, say, assigning or collating reviews. But not to know what's in the journal -- I say, it's a bit much, what?

[BeFree]

11. Wow

The people who didn't want this major story must be getting nervous.
Going so far as to get the editor to deny everything and then resign?

Well, we know Bushco is powerful and deadly against their enemies, right?

[Bolo Boffin]

12. Awww.

You almost make me feel sorry for you.

[BeFree]

13. Me? This isn't about me.

Can't you stick to the subject? Even when it's your own thread you hijack it to make personal attacks!!

[Bolo Boffin]

15. Shh. n/t

[SDuderstadt]

16. Yes, "we" got to her too....

"we" can get to anyone. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I supppose the sarcasm smiley is not necessary.

[Bolo Boffin]

14. Better translation available

http://screwloosechange.blogspot.com/2009/04/bentham-editor-resigns-over-steven.html

“I was in fact in doubt about them before, because I had on several occasions asked about information about the journal without having heard from them. It does not appear on the list of international journals, and that is a bad sign. Now I can see that it is because it is a bad journal”, says Marie-Paule Pileni and continues:

“There are no references to the Open Chemical Physics Journal in other articles. I have two colleagues who contributed to publishing an article which was not cited anyplace either. If no one reads it, it is a bad journal, and there is not use for it”, is the harsh verdict.

The professor informs us that a few years ago she was invited to be editor in chief of a journal which would open new possibilities for new researchers and because she supports the idea of open access journals where the articles are accessible to everyone, she said, “Yes” thank you.

“It is important to allow people to try and gain success, but one should not be allowed to do everything, and all this is certainly a bunch of nonsense. I try to be a serious researcher, and I will not have my name connected with this kind of thing,” concludes Marie-Paule Pileni.