🚀 go-pugleaf

>I'm surprised that people still use reprint request cards.  Any I receive
>get dumped automatically, particularly if they obviously come from rich
>labs that can afford to produce such luxuries.  If you are genuinely
>interested in an article and don't want to photocopy it, then write a
>personal letter to the author. The only exception I make are for people
>from poor countries with limited library facilities.  These usually have
>the courtesy to write in any case.

I generally photocopy the papers that I am interested in, but in truth, even
though I have access to the fifth largest science library in the United States,
not every journal that has an interesting article is carried by the library
(nor am I going to request the library to spend $300 or more to subscribe to
every journal that may have 1 article every few years that I want)... I do
agree that a personal letter is the nicest thing to do, and it can begin
fruitful scientific discussion, but reprint requests have their place. We get
dozens of reprint requests every few months, and we make a real effort to
respond to all of them. Professional courtesy, y'know...

Joseph Cerro
jac20@columbia.edu/cerro@mbcl.rutgers.edu/josephc22@aol.com