Connie Cepko

Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School

Connie Cepko and her colleagues study the development of the central nervous system of vertebrates, with an emphasis on the development of the retina. They are also studying the mechanisms of photoreceptor degeneration, particularly as it can occur as a failure of development.

What prompted you to submit a paper?

We are always looking at the new journals and methods of publishing in order to maximize both the ease of publishing our work as well as reaching the most appropriate audience. As more of our recent data have been derived from genomics methods, and we have been generating very large sets of images from in situ hybridization, we have found it difficult to present our work in the traditional journals. Even the process of submitting large data files is not always straightforward. Some of the newer journals have made this process easier. In addition, we believe in making data available as quickly as possible to as many readers as possible. We wholeheartedly share the philosophy of the open access movement.

What was your assessment of the electronic submission and peer review process?

It was excellent. No problems, beyond the typical one of having one very negative reviewer.

What do you think you gained from publishing in an open access journal?

It was easier to go through the submission process. Our work was immediately available to a large audience who might not otherwise have been able to read it as quickly as they would like.