If you want to know about the preliminary data we post here, please continue reading. If you’d rather go directly to the data, follow this link.
The Society for Neuroscience (1) has approved guidelines for Responsible Conduct Regarding Scientific Communication (2). These guidelines make it clear that papers that have gone through peer review and have been accepted for publication have a value within the scientific community beyond that of other forms of communication (3). Thus, the first formal report of any data should be in a peer-reviewed publication.
In addition, these guidelines strongly encourage the informal communication of results and ideas (4), for example “at scientific meetings, posting material for a limited period of time on a Web site, and exchanging prepublication drafts of manuscripts”. Further: “Informal communication of preliminary results and ideas by meetings and abstracts prior to peer reviewed publication has always been accepted and, indeed, encouraged as being in the best interest of the scientific community. It not only provides a prompt exchange of information but also often generates feedback to authors, thereby improving the final, formal publication in peer reviewed form” (4).
(1) The Society for Neuroscience: http://web.sfn.org
(2) Responsible Conduct Regarding Scientific Communication.
url: http://web.sfn.org/content/Publications/Guidelines2/index.html
(3) RCRSC, section 1.1
(4) RCRSC, section 1.15
It is with these two ideals in mind that I have selected preliminary data for presentation here. To this point, scientists have primarily used the internet to facilitate traditional formats for scientific communication. The capabilities of this medium differ from, and in some cases far exceed, traditional formats such as printed journals. An increasing number of scientists are utilizing these capabilities to expand scientific dialogue and, importantly, information exchange. The dissemination of scientific knowledge is a primary duty of scientists, second only to our need to uphold the highest standards in the collection and analysis of our data.
A note about access and communication
The first time I posted preliminary data online (July 7, 2004), I set up a preliminary data menu that required a password for access. I also included the proviso that:
“this [was] not meant to deter anyone from exploring the contents, but merely to gauge interest and to establish a two-way communication. Thus, anyone who request[ed] the password via email [could] then access these pages through the link… I look forward to your comments, questions or concerns regarding the contents.”
I had a fair amount of interest (judging from hit counts), but only a few people established communication with me. I removed the password requirement on October 28, 2004 and, over the following year, registered over 1000 unique visitors. Quite a few of those visitors have since contacted me, and I hope that you will feel free to do so as well.
On this website, preliminary data will be posted as an entry in the lab blog, within the preliminary data subcategory. I will be back-posting prior preliminary data. I also have enabled comments; these will be displayed alongside the data. I hope you will make use of this feature if you feel you have something to contribute to the dialogue. I will make an effort to respond to each comment.
Claire M. Cannon
Nov 28, 2005