Microbiology posts its best reviewer comments every year; the 2010 edition is out (I beleive the article is ungated). A few highlights include:
- The writing and data presentation are so bad that I had to leave work and go home early and then spend time to wonder what life is about.
- It is sad to see so much enthusiasm and effort go into analyzing a dataset that is just not big enough.
- I have to admit that I would have liked to reject this paper because I found the tone in the Reply to the Reviewers so annoying. It may be irritating to deal with reviewer's comments (believe me, I know!) but it is not wise to let your irritation seep through every line you write!
Do read the full article – it is short and quite sweet. Via Twisted Bacteria and BoingBoing.
Michael A. Allen is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Boise State University. His research focuses on international conflict, military alliances, and quantitative methods in international relations and comparative politics.