[Taxacom] Rejoinder to a monster review

[John Grehan]

Richard,

My claim is based on my experience of what I have seen. It is evident to me
that suppression of viewpoints does occur, either with intent or just as a
consequence of one’s choice (and I do not exclude myself). In biogeography
I tend to work in a traditional plate tectonics paradigm, but I am aware of
others such as expanding earth. The latter may be valid, I don’t know, but
in making a choice to use plate tectonic models I suppose that I am
suppressing consideration of the alternative.



This choice suppression may be considered different to active suppression
where scientists may either prevent publication of alternatives, or
represent a field as if other viewpoints do not exist. Of course proof is
not always possible, but there are some instances I have seen. In once case
a letter from an editor stated that papers mentioning Croizat would not be
published in his journal as long as he was editor. In a recent instance
Systematic Biology published a paper more or less calling for the banning
of panbiogeography, and this being compounded by a refusal to publish a
response (not by me). Obviously I am referring to my own pet issues, but
they illustrate the principle that within science suppression does occur in
various forms, justified or not.



John Grehan





On Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 8:52 AM, Richard Jensen <rjensen at saintmarys.edu>
wrote:

> John,
>
> Can you please cite references for your claim that the "process of science
> is...to suppress".  While I know that there are numerous instances of
> movements to suppress information, I wasn't aware that such suppression was
> part of the process, at least not as I understand the process of science.
>
> Dick J
>
> On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 4:22 PM, John Grehan <calabar.john at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I get the impression that quite a few natural science journals shy away
>> from allowing debate or responses. Syst Biol certainly went that way over
>> the attack they published against panbiogeography so I suppose its not
>> surprising to see in other journals. After all, the process of science is
>> not only to discover, but also to suppress. Not good or bad, but just the
>> way it works.
>>
>> John Grehan
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 11:34 AM, Richard Zander <Richard.Zander at mobot.org
>> >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Taxacomers:
>> >
>> > A monster review of my book was published by the journal Cladistics, but
>> > they refused to publish my rebuttal. Another journal with a kindly
>> editor
>> > did so, however.
>> >
>> > My rejoinder to this nasty review was entirely collegial, gentle, caring
>> > and supportive of all forms of systematics, and I hope solvent of
>> > misunderstandings. I only mentioned Hitler once.
>> >
>> > Those of you who continue to enjoy the continuing and increasingly
>> surreal
>> > drama of the paraphyly wars might view my review of the review:
>> >
>> >
>> http://phytoneuron.net/2014Phytoneuron/110PhytoN-ParaphylophilyResponse.pdf
>> >
>> > Richard
>> >
>> >
>> > -------
>> > Richard H. Zander
>> > Missouri Botanical Garden - 4344 Shaw Blvd. - St. Louis - Missouri -
>> 63110
>> > - USA
>> > richard.zander at mobot.org<mailto:richard.zander at mobot.org>
>> > Web sites: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/bfna/bfnamenu.htm and
>> > http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
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>> >
>> > Celebrating 27 years of Taxacom in 2014.
>> >
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>>
>> Celebrating 27 years of Taxacom in 2014.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Richard Jensen, Professor
> Department of Biology
> Saint Mary's College
> Notre Dame, IN 46556
>