Spectral lines: Who gets published?

You may recall a reader's recent letter to Spectrum in which he raised the question of what the criteria are for having an article accepted for publication in the technical press, and, specifically, whether an author's previous “track record” has any bearing on the matter. Undoubtedly the answer varies depending upon the association or publishing house, and even upon the inclination of an individual editor or reviewer. Nevertheless, a summary of Spectrum's policy and methodology in this regard is in order. In subsequent discussions, we shall hope to describe how the matter is handled by Proceedings and Transactions, too.