The IPCC has now published all of the reviewer comments and author responses, together with a file containing the Review Editor Reports. This post is on the Review Editor Reports – we’ll come to the comments and responses later.
There are three or four Review Editors for each chapter. The list of names is here.
The role of the Review Editors is to provide an overview of the comment and response process, ensuring that all comments have been adequately considered.
For AR4, there was some criticism of the Review Editor process. In most cases it appeared to be a rubber-stamping exercise, with most of the Review Editor comments being just a standard form letter.
This complaint cannot be levelled against the AR5 Review Editor comments, which appear to be quite substantial and in places quite critical.
Please put any points of note from the Review Editor Reports in the comments section below.
Related posts elsewhere:
Peter Wadhams wants a “last-minute fix-up” to chapter 1, predicting disappearance of Arctic ice by 2015.
A big change from AR4, as you say. It seems very much in line with the IAC Review’s recommendation to strengthen the role of the Review Editors.
I found Kevin Trenberth’s report interesting. As review editor of chapter 14: Climate Phenomena and their Relevance for Future Regional Climate Change Trenberth was quite critical and even asked to print a disclaimer regarding the review editors’ responsibility for the text.
I’m quoting here from the final sections of Trenberth’s report (pp 95-96 of the pdf):
Looking at chapter 14, it doesn’t appear that Trenberth’s request was granted – I can’t find any such disclaimer.
Yes, that is interesting to see Trenberth criticising the IPCC report for putting a positive spin on model skill, since sceptics often criticise him for positive spin.
But I don’t quite get what he means when he says his recommendations were not all adopted while saying he wasn’t allowed to comment on the chapter? Maybe he means that as RE he can comment on the comments and how they are handled, but not on the chapter material itself?