[Taxacom] is this spam?

Thu Jul 23 09:49:09 CDT 2020

I thought those responses were pretty reasonable. Journals and editors
should know better than to treat reviewers in a cavalier manner. I also had
the pleasure of being summarily dismissed by a journal when I forgot about
an upcoming review deadline. Other journals live in the real world and
either provide a warning of impending deadline accompanied by appropriate
language or if the deadline is passed I will receive a reminder and a
polite inquiry as to whether a review can be completed. Niceness gets
results.

John Grehan

On Thu, Jul 23, 2020 at 10:14 AM Jim Beach via Taxacom <
taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> wrote:

> Hi Fred --
>
> No not spam.  It is a real journal.
> https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ecological-indicators
>
> I recently received a request to review an article at a different Elsevier
> Journal and overlooked it and received this gentle admonishment email as a
> result of my procrastination:
>
> Dear  Beach,
> I recently invited you to review the above referenced manuscript.
> As you know, timely decisions are of utmost importance to authors.
> Unfortunately, I must now proceed with evaluating this manuscript without
> your input.
> I hope we will have the privilege of using your services in the future.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> ****** *******
> Associate Editor
> Ecological Informatics
>
>
> I was in a snarky mood, so I wrote back:
>
> As a helpful suggestion, here is what I would say if a potential reviewer
> does not respond to a review request within three weeks.
>
> 1. I would use their full name in addressing them.  Or if you don't know
> the first name or personally know the person, then the person's title would
> be appropriate.  People call me Beach all the time, and I don't mind, but
> when you are asking for someone for a favor, a customary greeting goes a
> long way to soften an unsolicited review request.
>
> 2.  If after the first email appeal, I would not go directly to the nuclear
> option and say, too bad you bum, you blew it, too late, we are withdrawing
> our invite.  Everyone is leading distracted lives these days and
> unsolicited email can scroll off the screen in a day or two and all too
> easily be overlooked forever.  I can send screen shots of my inbox to prove
> it, but I am sure you have a similar volume of email.
>
> 3. I don't know if your email message is using the passive-aggressive
> tactic of hoping to get an apologetic plea from the target to let the
> person review it in spite of missing your important deadline, it kind of
> feels like that--hoping that out of guilt or shame for not responding the
> person will now come crawling back to beg you for a chance to review it.
> That gambit works with young kids or high-school dates, doesn't work
> professionally with senior adults and grizzled academics.  To improve your
> 2nd chance response rate I would change that tactic to something more
> positive and affirming.  Doing that would likely get a more positive
> response and help you accomplish your goal.  A three-week deadline until
> the nuclear shaming email seems short and unforgiving.   I appreciate how
> difficult it must be as an Editor to get people to respond to review
> requests, you have my understanding, but I am saving my guilt supply for
> more heinous offenses.
>
> 4. I am not a provider of review "services."   Ending the letter with "I
> hope we will have the privilege of using your services in the future." is
> half-way there, but if you need SERVICES, try Google or a business
> directory.  For academic reviews it would be more appropriate, and useful
> for you, to change the final thought to something like:
>
> I am sorry we did connect about reviewing this interesting and important
> paper by your colleagues. It would have been very useful to have your
> insight and evaluation on it.  We look forward to the possibility of having
> your intellectual perspective on manuscripts of interest to you, and hope
> you will consider future review opportunities.  Our community journal
> depends on the thoughtful responses from people like you.
>
> 5. Thank you.
>
> LOL.  Pretty snarky!
>
> The U.S. journal editor responded that she did not write the email, it came
> from the corporate office of Elsevier with her name and email address on
> it.  Then, the corporate office of Elsevier wrote that they were sorry for
> the tone of their terse 'thanks for nothing' email and that they would
> strive to improve their language.  It looks like your email was a bit more
> civil.
>
> Jim
>
>
> -------------------------------
> James H. Beach
> 705 Mississippi Street
> Lawrence, KS 66044
> Home: 785-331-0421
> Cell: 785-331-8508
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 22, 2020 at 6:52 PM Frederick W. Schueler via Taxacom <
> taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> wrote:
>
> > ...I have no expertise in Primula or the Himalayas.
> >
> > fred.
> > ====================================================
> >
> >
> > -------- Forwarded Message --------
> > Subject: Regarding the invitation to review manuscript ECOLIND-17223
> > Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2020 23:33:37 +0000
> > From: eesserver at eesmail.elsevier.com
> > Reply-To: ecological.indicators at uc.pt
> > To: bckcdb at istar.ca
> >
> > *** Automated mail sent on behalf of Petina Lesley Pert, Ph.D, M.AppSci,
> > B.Ed ***
> >
> > Ms. Ref. No.: ECOLIND-17223
> > Title: DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF GENUS PRIMULA IN KASHMIR REGION: AN
> > INDICATOR GENUS OF THE WESTERN HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN WETLANDS AND GLACIAL
> > FORELANDS
> > Ecological Indicators
> >
> > Dear Dr. Fred W. Schueler,
> >
> > You were recently invited to review the above manuscript, by as yet we
> > have not received your reply. Due to time restrictions we have decided
> > to proceed with evaluating this manuscript without your input.
> > I hope that you understand this decision. Thank you for your past
> > efforts on behalf of the journal, and I hope that we may utilize your
> > services as a reviewer again in the future.
> >
> > Yours sincerely,
> >
> > Petina Lesley Pert, Ph.D, M.AppSci, B.Ed
> > Associate Editor
> > Ecological Indicators
> >
> >
> > *********************************************
> > For further assistance, please visit our customer support site at
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> >
> >
> > --
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >           Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad
> >           Fragile Inheritance Natural History
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