Peer review and AIDS research

I thought that there might be interest in a news item in the November
20 issue of Nature. It is entitled "Medical journal under attack as
dissenters seize AIDS platform" (Nature, vol 426, p. 215). It involves
an electronic fast-track unreviewed publication outlet of the British
Medical Journal. Several people who deny that HIV causes AIDS have
used this forum as a means of promoting their views posting dozens of
unreviewed articles. These publications deny that AIDS is contagious,
that AIDS is sexually transmitted, that HIV causes AIDS, that anti-HIV
drugs are effective, and that AIDS is responsible for the high
mortalities in Africa.

AIDS researchers are concerned that these articles appearing on the
website of a respected science journal will mislead policy makers and
the public into thinking that a real controversy exists over the above
issues.

I find this very reminiscent of the efforts of some ID advocates to
influence the public and policy makers without first establishing the
validity of their arguments through standard peer-reviewed channels.
It is also significant, I believe, that Phil Johnson is a supporter of
the HIV dissenters.

Keith

Keith B. Miller
Research Assistant Professor
Dept of Geology, Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-3201
785-532-2250
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/
Received on Tue Dec 9 18:39:33 2003