Facts, as we might as well call them, emerge from the open exchange of ideas, reports of experiments, and theoretical calculations. The vehicles for these exchanges are the professional journals in which scientists report their findings and speculations. Sometimes, preliminary results are reported at conferences, but it is the definitive printed record that we all wait for. That rec-ord comes from peer review, which all scientific journals use. Peer review is the cornerstone of the integrity of scientific literature.
A common feature of the scientific journals is their editorial policy. Since no editor can be knowledgeable in all of the many subfields of today's specialized science, the manuscripts submitted for publication are sent out to other scientists for review.
Referees may raise all manner of questions and objections and will often pinpoint weaknesses in an argument, or suggest further measurements or calculations to remove uncertainties. But no matter how careful ...
