CALL FOR REVIEWERS - PLEASE POST WIDELY The National Research Council seeks reviewers for a draft report on its project on "Tools and Strategies for Protecting Kids from Pornography and Their Applicability to Other Inappropriate Internet Content." More information on this project, including a list of committee members, can be found at < http://www.itasnrc.org>. Purpose of review Every report of the National Research Council must be reviewed by a diverse group of experts other than its authors before it may be released outside the institution. This independent, rigorous review is a hallmark that distinguishes the NRC from many other organizations offering scientific and technical advice on issues of national importance. The purpose of such review is to assist the authors in making their report as accurate and effective as possible, and to enhance the clarity, cogency, and credibility of the final document. Responsibilities of reviewers Reviewers are asked to consider whether in their judgment the evidence and arguments presented are sound and the report is fully responsive to the study charge, not whether they concur with the findings. Reviewers provide written comments on any and all aspects of the draft report, and the authoring committee is expected to consider all review comments and to provide written responses to those comments, either modifying the report accordingly or explaining why the report was not modified. The committee's responses are themselves evaluated by the National Research Council for adequacy and completeness. Note that NRC reports have a history of changing significantly between draft and final versions as the result of reviewer comments. Qualifications of reviewers Reviewers of NRC reports are selected on the basis of personal expertise in a field or fields relevant to the subject matter of the report; a dedication to drawing conclusions based on the analysis of data and information; sufficiently seniority in their fields to warrant broad respect for their intellect, fairness, and stature. Names of reviewers are made public at the time of the report's final publication, but during the review process they are anonymous to the committee and staff. Confidentiality of report Because NRC reports change as the result of review, reviewers must be willing to keep the draft report absolutely confidential and otherwise abide by the NRC's guidelines for reviewing of reports. Procedure for submitting names Please forward nominations for reviewers (self-nominations acceptable) to itas@nas.edu. The "subject" line of the e-mail should say "reviewer nomination." Submitted nominations should include contact information, biographies (including relevant published works, public statements, and current or former positions of relevance), and indications of relevant expertise and the perspective on the subject that the nominee will bring. Note that while the NRC seeks nominations from a wide variety of sources, it reserves the exclusive right to determine reviewers of its reports. Deadline for Nominations While nominations may be submitted at any time, nominations without the information described above, or received after September 15, 2001, may not be fully considered. More information is available from the Web site of this project at < http://www.itasnrc.org> or from Herb Lin (Study Director), at 202-334-2605. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- End forwarded message -----