The publication process can be lengthy (often 3-5 years) and brutal.

FORBES: The Muzzle is Off!

More than 300 scientists were involved in the peer review process before the report's publication, co-ordinated by the US Global Change Research Programme.

BBC: US warned on warming world

All this could change the traditional form of the peer-review process, at least for the publication of papers.

ECONOMIST: Scientific publishing