Referees' reports on scientific papers submitted to the Royal Society for publication

Description

Reports on scientific papers submitted for publication to the Royal Society from 1832 to date, making this a record of the origins of peer review publishing in practice. The referees were appointed to advise the Committee of Papers, and were drawn from appropriate subject disciplines within the Fellowship.

Referees' reports vary in content between terse notes recommending acceptance or rejection to long monographs devoted to the subject under review. There are occasional responses from authors to referee's reports contained in the series. Formal printed sheets first appeared in 1898 and continue to the present day.

Much of the reports' interest derives from the comment of one scientist on the work of another, for example Faraday on Joule (RR/3/154,158) or Lodge on Rutherford (RR/13/106).

Early reports are bound into volumes for the period 1832-1902, and one box of additional papers for 1838-1848. Then the series continues as boxes of loose papers to present date.

Custodial history

Begun in 1831, in the possesion of the Royal Society since creation

Reference number

RR

Earliest possible date

1831-

Physical description

Reports to 1909 are in bound volumes, thereafter kept annually in boxes. Early reports are bound into volumes for the period 1832-1902, and one box of additional papers for 1838-1848. Then the series continues as boxes of loose papers to present date.

Page extent

32 bound volumes and 186 [85] boxes.

There are 6,094 Reports for 1832-1917, after which the papers are unsorted.