In mid-July, I noticed a small error in a research paper that was an in press, corrected proof. The paper was dated August 2013. The third word in the introduction was the date of the discovery. It was off by ten years, but the discovery was not the subject of the paper. It left me pondering, so I contacted the journal about it. I heard back from the publisher and the journal manager. Recently I received this email:
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| the banks of the Hockanum River |
Dear Dr. Zajac,
Can you please confirm, what is your preference? Do you want to have the article updated online, or do you prefer to publish a corrigendum in the issue it will appear?
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| It was exciting crossing this old railroad bridge. |
I responded by saying I didn't feel as though I was in a position to make that decision (what's a corrigendum!) and that they should do what works best for them. It seemed to me that if it was still considered to be "in press," then maybe they could correct it before it went in the journal?
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| the ruins of an old paper mill |
I am purposely not mentioning the paper, the scientist or the journal because my intent was not to discredit anyone. Last night, I thought about the folks that try to punch holes in climate science papers. They do it to discredit scientists and climate science. It takes time and effort to read research papers and review the science, so I wondered if someone (like big oil) paid these scientists for their time?
Walt congratulated me on my degree. Lol. He asked if I wished I was a scientist. I've been asked that before.
The answer is no. Certain aspects, like dealing with wildlife sound quite exciting, but the job lacks the creativity that I enjoy when I write. However, I do find that scientists are very open-minded and sometimes find creative ways to solve their problems by using the latest technology
These photographs of the Adams Mill Trail in Manchester were taken months ago, in early May. It was a flat, short trail that followed the Hockanum River. We came upon some interesting historical structures, like the ruins of an old paper mill.
