How are various scientific journals rated in terms of relative difficulty of publication therein?
Panelists take note of, and make value judgments about, the media or methods a scientist uses to release information about his or her research work. But this is only a minor step in the broader process of judging the impact of the accomplishment. The medium through which the results of an experiment are announced is far less important than the extent to which the results are subsequently accepted and applied by user groups, action agencies, and the scientific community. Publication is merely the starting point for the possible generation of impact and resultant recognition. Logically, impact is not synonymous with publication, but rather may flow from it. The RPE Staff does not have, nor would it attempt to develop, any “standards” or otherwise attempt to rank or rate the quality of publications. To do so would be (a) to overemphasize the importance of mere publication as opposed to the generation of impact and resultant recognition, and (b) to oversimplify the variety and diversity of