Peer review and the publication process

Aims: To provide an overview of the peer review process, its various types, selection of peer reviewers, the purpose and significance of the peer review with regard to the assessment and management of quality of publications in academic journals. Design: Discussion paper. Methods: This paper draws on information gained from literature on the peer review process and the authors' knowledge and experience of contributing as peer reviewers and editors in the field of health care, including nursing. Results: There are various types of peer review: single blind; double blind; open; and post-publication review. The role of the reviewers in reviewing manuscripts and their contribution to the scientific and academic community remains important

Detector Description and Performance for the First Coincidence Observations between LIGO and GEO

For 17 days in August and September 2002, the LIGO and GEO interferometer gravitational wave detectors were operated in coincidence to produce their first data for scientific analysis. Although the detectors were still far from their design sensitivity levels, the data can be used to place better upper limits on the flux of gravitational waves incident on the earth than previous direct measurements. This paper describes the instruments and the data in some detail, as a companion to analysis papers based on the first data.Comment: 41 pages, 9 figures 17 Sept 03: author list amended, minor editorial change

The ecology of Harmonia axyridis in Great Britain

Native to Asia, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an invasive non-native ladybird in Europe. The objective of the study was to investigate the habitat use and phenology of H. axyridis in Great Britain in the first five years since establishment, using data collected in a web-based public survey (www.harlequin-survey.org) and association with a national land cover dataset. Over 10000 verified records of H. axyridis between 2004 and 2008 were analysed. Evidence of bi-voltinism was found, with a spring peak in larval records in weeks 22-25 (i.e. late May – late June) and an autumn peak most frequently in weeks 42-43 (i.e. mid-late October). Harmonia axyridis had a mean activity period of 30.75 (range 26 to 34) weeks per year (based on the difference between the start and end of overwintering in buildings). There was a very strong positive relationship (R2 = 0.977) between the length of activity period per year and the mean annual temperature in Britain. Mean occurrence on arable/horticultural land was 18.8%. Occurrence in built-up areas and gardens decreased each year, from 70.2% in 2005 to 53.4% in 2008. Conversely, occurrence in grassland increased, from 6.0% in 2005 to 20.4% in 2008. Occurrence in woodland was greater in later years (2006-8 mean = 5.6%) than in earlier years (2004-5 mean = 2.5%). Thus although H. axyridis was very common in urban habitats, it increasingly used semi-natural habitats. Mean occurrence of H. axyridis on plants was: deciduous trees/shrubs 55.9%; herbaceous plants 29.1%; evergreen trees/shrubs 11.2%; grass/rush/sedge/fern 3.7%. The species was increasingly found on herbaceous plants. Harmonia axyridis was recorded from 75 families of flowering plant and three families of coniferous plant. 53.5% of records were reported from the six most represented plant families (Aceraceae, Rosaceae, Malvaceae, Urticaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae). Harmonia axyridis larvae were recorded from 50 plant families (with 50.2% of all larval records reported from Aceraceae, Malvaceae and Rosaceae). These data show that H. axyridis has a broad habitat range in Britain and has the capacity to dominate coccinellid assemblages in semi-natural, as well as urban, habitats