Publications of the BESGroup

Posted by BESG on 12 August 08, Tuesday
Contributed by YC

Since the formation of BESG in 2005, we have posted more than 800 items in this website. Such postings are informal. The almost immediate postings make observations readily available to whoever has access to a computer. However, website postings are unconventional as compared to publications in print media. There is thus a need to formalise observations so as to officially credit contributors. For this to be done, we need to compile and publish observations in print media or even on-line journals.

So far, only a very limited number of postings have been compiled and published in such a way. These are in semi-popular magazines and bulletins rather than peer-reviewed scientific journals. Even then, it takes at least a year for an article to see the light of day and most publications are unwilling to publish more than one article per author or group of authors per issue.

Nature in Singapore, an on-line journal of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, has shown that an article can be uploaded and published within weeks, rather than years.

The problem with publication is getting contributors to formally write and see their articles through to publication. We are always available to assist in this aspect and if there are others well qualified to take up the task, we can always put you in touch with contributors.

Where contributors have played a major role in contributing observations and images, we try to credit them with authorship rather than shortchanging them with mere acknowledgments. Where necessary, we will credit them with first authorship.

Since Nick Sly of Biological Ramblings, operating from Ithaca, NY, United States, wanted to know “how many of the excellent natural history observations posted here end up published in the scientific literature?” and if we keep a list of publications in the blog, we are maintaining an updated list HERE.

NOTE: BESG is dedicated to helping contributors to formally publish their observations posted in this website. Formal publications allow the relevant observers to lay claim to their observations. BESG will extend as much assistance as possible for these observations to be published.

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