Biological Journals and Exchange Groups

In the second half of 1966 there were two important developments affecting the experiment supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health for the rapid circulation of biological communications within Information Exchange Groups (IEG). For one thing, the National Institutes of Health decided not to continue with the experiment, at least in the form in which it had been established (see Nature, 212, 865 and 867). A little earlier, the Commission of Biological Editors had discussed a declaration of policy by a number of biological journals that communications circulated by the IEG would not be accepted for publication (see Nature, 212, 4). The statement which follows is the text of that declaration as it has now been agreed within the Commission of Biological Editors.