Hope for Bohemian ecologists – comments on “A possible role of social activity to explain differences in publication output among ecologists?” by Tomáš Grim, Oikos 2008

摘要: and elsewhere. A lighter prose is encouraged no summary required. Formal research papers, however short, will not be considered.Like many ecologists we were intrigued by Tomas Grim’s original thought-provoking evaluation of professional achievement amongst his Bohemian ecologist colleagues in your sister journal, Oikos (Grim 2008). In paper, Grim argues infers from a correlational analysis that publication success negatively affected beer drinking – an assumed correlate ‘social activity’ due to nega -tive effects alcohol on cognitive performance. Here question conclusions. We criticize focus single hypothesis, without consideration reasonable al-ternatives, note approach provides valuable illustration more general flaw ecological inference.Grim correlated Czech their self-reported consumption. short-falls this approach. could, for example, quibble with measures (Lortie et al. 2007), the problems using as measure true consumption (Nevitt Lundak 2005), neglect gender differences (Bailly 1991) debate whether heavier drinkers really are involved social or anti-social behaviour (Ogle Miller 2004). might also paper focuses just 10% variation part explained each ecologist’s age duration publica -tion career. However, would nit-picking. Our main concern pessimism-by-default regarding impending obscurity ecologists. As justify below, there good reasons optimistic.