Reply from Mr Quest dated 19/08/2020 to the R&D Note "JERB -Nutcracker or Sledgehammer""

EUROPEAN COMMISSION    
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE

The Director-General

Brussels, 19/08/2020
JRC/SQ

Dear Mr Tirendi, dear Mr Kenny,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the upcoming launch of the JRC Editorial Review Board.

When I was first briefed about the introduction of a clear editorial review policy in the JRC with the newly created editorial board, I felt that my predecessors had taken an important and well thought through initiative. As a result, we now have an authorisation process with all steps necessary to be able to take full responsibility, as an organisation, for the science and knowledge that we produce. That is a professional approach appropriate for a Commission service. 

My predecessor reacted to most of your questions in an earlier letter and I fully agree with her arguments. The editorial review streamlines the JRC’s publication procedure for scientific manuscripts. It is a tailor-made process, well-documented, transparent with the same criteria across the whole organisation and the shortest possible delay.

That said, I understand that some concerns persist as regards issues have been raised in the past, for instance during the JRC Scientific Integrity Road Show in 2018/2019.We are therefore going to make an additional effort to clarify all questions raised through the planned communication campaign, so as to ensure that the finer points of the editorial review are fully understood by everyone.

From September, the Editorial Board - Koen Jonkers and his team - will continue with a series of meetings with directorates and units where they will discuss the details of the new process. They have already launched their website on Connected, which also deals with frequently asked questions, such as for example the review for articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Our objective remains for the editorial review to start immediately after the September campaign. We believe that it has been designed in a way to fit well with our work, but will of course keep it under careful review in the initial phase. We will also ensure that the process is evaluated in due course, so as to assess its performance, costs, benefits and any potential adjustment needs.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen QUEST

c.c.: B. Magenhann, D. Al Khudhairy, M. Landabaso Alvarez, P. Szymanski, G. De Santi, D. Chirondojan, G. Van den Eede, M. Betti, P. Duponteil, K. Maruszewski, X. Troussard.

NOTE SENT BY R&D TO MR QUEST, DG JRC ON 29/07/2020 - JERB - NUTCRACKER OR SLEDGEHAMMER?