One step at a time

Back at the start of the year, I wrote a pair of posts about the International Journal of Climatology, an organ of the Royal Meteorological Society, criticising them for their weak policies on the need for authors to archive their data and code (see here and here). This oversight had allowed one of their authors, Prof Ben Santer, to get away with refusing access to his data.

At the time I wrote to the head of the Royal Met Soc, suggesting that they tighten things up in this area, and received a very courteous reply from the CEO, Prof Paul Hardaker, indicating that the issue would be discussed at the meeting of the society's publications committee in May.

Now we're into June, I wrote to Prof Hardaker again today, and received another very prompt and very courteous reply.

The Committee felt that there would be value in the Society formalising a policy on this that would apply to all our journals. They have asked me to bring a draft proposal to their next meeting (which is in the autumn) for us to finalise the details.

While it's a tad disappointing that what would appear outwardly to be a very simple change is taking so long, this does at least seem to be continuing in a positive vein.

In the meantime, I hope that Prof Hardaker's proposals set an example for the rest of the climate science world and adopt the econometricians' approach to the issue.

Comments

[Jack Hughes]

To make sense of climate you need some simple science (O-level will do) and some really advanced statistics.

The stats are the key to seeing if experiments have been well-designed, measurements correctly taken, trends really do exist - or not.

It probably helps to have no interest in politics and a healthy dose of skepticism.

[James P]

"what would appear outwardly to be a very simple change is taking so long"

Sounds like they're dragging their heels to me. As Northcote Parkinson observed: "delay is the deadliest form of denial"...

[Alan B]

Dear Bishop

Since it will take so long, have you considered putting a proposal to the CEO for his consideration and, hopefully for him to endorse for the Meeting? I believe you are in a good position to do that but I am sure "he who must not be named" would be willing to look over a proposal.

[Bishop Hill]

I did think about this, Alan, but there's not much more to say beyond "Do what the econometricians do", i.e. data and turnkey code submitted with the manuscript.