books

["James J. O'Donnell" <provost@georgetown.edu>]

Stevan Harnad wrote:

> Yes, all Green OA self-archiving mandates should specify that they
> apply to articles published in peer-reviewed journals and peer-reviewed
> congress proceedings, to be clear that they do not apply to books. But
> academics know this. Books are vetted for publishability, but they are
> not peer-reviewed. In an academic CV, one does not list one's books under
> "peer-reviewed publications."

I will save Sandy Thatcher, seasoned and admired university press
publisher, from the burden of defending his honorable profession and
say that the assertion that "Books . . . are not peer-reviewed" is
wild, ludicrous, and entirely untrue.  There are surely
book-publishing outlets that have weaker peer review standards than
others, just as there are journals likewise, but the standard of peer
review on reputable university press books is very high.

Jim O'Donnell
Georgetown U.