▁env y ▁of ▁authors ▁whose ▁papers ▁had ▁been ▁rejected ▁from ▁the ▁journal . ▁ ▁Nin ete enth ▁century ▁ ▁Trans actions ▁continued ▁stead ily ▁through ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁a ▁movement ▁to ▁reform ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁rose . ▁The ▁reform ers ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁scientific ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁had ▁been ▁und erm ined ▁by ▁the ▁ad mission ▁of ▁too ▁many ▁gentleman ▁d ile tt antes ▁under ▁B anks . ▁In ▁propos ing ▁a ▁more ▁limited ▁membership , ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁reputation , ▁they ▁also ▁argued ▁for ▁system atic , ▁expert ▁evaluation ▁of ▁papers ▁for ▁Trans actions ▁by ▁named ▁ref ere es . ▁ ▁Section al ▁Comm itte es , ▁each ▁with ▁responsibility ▁for ▁a ▁particular ▁group ▁of ▁discipl ines , ▁were ▁initially ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s ▁to ▁adj ud icate ▁the ▁award ▁of ▁George ▁IV ' s ▁Royal ▁Med als . ▁But ▁individual ▁members ▁of ▁these ▁comm itte es ▁were ▁soon ▁put ▁to ▁work ▁reporting ▁on ▁and ▁evalu ating ▁papers ▁submitted ▁to ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society . ▁These ▁evalu ations ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁recommend ations ▁to ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Pap ers , ▁who ▁would ▁then ▁rub ber - st amp ▁dec isions ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁Section al ▁Comm itte es . ▁Despite ▁its ▁fla ws ▁– ▁it ▁was ▁incons istent