| Home > Events > Biosafety and Biorisks Conference, 2005 > speakers > ash The Technical Foundation for Public Health Decisions
Presenter: Caroline Ash slide thumbnails slide show Ms. Ash is Senior Editor for Science Magazine, a weekly publication devoted to fast dissemination of leading edge and high quality science. Ash discussed the magazine's efforts to respond to and document epidemic crises, noting that during an epidemic, pertinent information must be made widely available to provide an accurate picture of vulnerabilities, an assessment of the immediate response, and accurate data to guide the development of global solutions. Peer-reviewed publications must manage the tension created by the drive to publish rapidly while also ensuring accuracy. Ms. Ash discussed examples of editions published during epidemics to illustrate how Science publishes high quality literature promptly. She noted that in times such as the 2001 epidemic of foot and mouth disease in the UK and the 2003 SARS crisis, papers were peer-reviewed, edited, and published online within two weeks of receipt. These time-sensitive papers were posted on Science Express, a website designed to publish articles online that have already been accepted and peer-reviewed but have not yet come out in print. Ash also noted that scientists who hope to publish important data rapidly during an epidemic must balance their desire to make crucial data public as soon as possible to support a swift and effective response with their desire for the personal recognition that comes with publication in a respected journal. Finally, Ms. Ash provided advice for those wishing to submit a manuscript to Science for rapid publication: - Contact the editors early on to assure suitability
- Obtain Science's guidelines for manuscript preparation and adhere to them
- Write a comprehensive methods section that allows replication of the work described in the paper.
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