SC -Online Library

[Par Leijonhufvud]

On Thu, 30 Apr 1998, Christine Michell Harley wrote:

> Hi, i'm a newbie so you won't see me post must but I know how to do all of
> it at once. Have our own website.  We will need 1 or more librarians (no,
> I'm not voluntering!;)) and a website.  When you have something new to add
> to the library, you send it to the librarian/s for submition.  It will
> then be added at the librarians' discrection.  So what do you think?

You are describing a simplified version of what is currently discussed
in scientific circles regarding "electronic journals" (or rather one of
they ways this could be set up). Just substitute editor (or editorial
board) bor librarian. 

The plain storage (collection, formatting, etc not forgotten) of
information system is currently done by Stefan, so if that is all we
want I suggest that we simply ask him to set up a new section of the
Florigelium (sp?). 

(WARNING, long, rambling discussion on electronic publishing ahead,
those unitrested might want to press <delete> now)

If we wanted a journal where the articles had a "quality stamp of
approval" we would need to have them checked by either an editor alone,
or (better) by one or more referees. One way this could be done is that
a group of people is elected/selected who are recognized as skillfull
cooks/culinary historians, and who has a sound judgement in these
matters. All submissions then go to an editor, who, based on topic and
so on, decides which (singular or plural) of these referees he shall
send the article to.  I think we can all name several Cathedral denizens
whom we would trust in the position of referee. We might even *agree* on
one or two of the names! And if we are lucky at least one of them is
fool enought to take the job. 

The referee in turn reads the article, and then sends it back with
a recommendation, as well as any more specific comments he or she might
have (i.e. advice that might -- more or less simply -- improve the
article). The editor then either decides the publish the article, or
send it back, either with a request for corrections/additions or as
regretfully unsuitable for the "Online Journal of Medieval and Early
Rennaissance Cooking". 

There are other, more novel, ways in which this process could take
place.  One such form is open editing where anyone could comment and
advice on an article with "preliminary" publication status (preliminary
articles are avaiable for a limited time). The author then rewrites the
article based on the comments, and the editor decides of it is
pulishable in its current form. Or we could use a method where you
submit your article to the referee whom you think will like your
article. This person then does one of three things: (1) sends it on to
the editor for publication, (2) returns it with suggestions for
corrections, etc, or (3) rejects it (hopefully with suggestions for
improvements that would make it suitable, or advice to send it to
another referee). 

Either way this is a lot of work, but might produce something
outstanding.

/UlfR

What? Me? Having spent (far too much) time in Academentia? And
interested in electronic publication of scientific results?  ;-) 

- -- 
Par Leijonhufvud                           parlei(at)algonet.se
http://www.algonet.se/~parlei
Cunning and deceit will every time serve a man better than force.
                 -- Niccolo Machiavelli   

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