Official ISHPSSB Announcement: Questionnaire concerning HP

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for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology

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To the Society Membership:

Shortly before the Guelph meeting in July, the Council was presented with the opportunity for ISHPSSB to assume the editorship and joint sponsorship of the journal History and Philosophy of Life Science, published by the Stazione Zoologica in Naples and printed by Taylor and Francis. This venerable journal of the Stazione will cease publication at the end of 2005 unless additional funding and personnel support is found.

The opportunity for affiliation arose from discussions between the Stazione and the leadership of ISHPSSB in the spring of 2005. As a result of the open discussion of this opportunity at the general business meeting at Guelph, an ad hoc committee of Council and non -Council members has been appointed to survey the Society for its opinion on this matter. Due to the need for a rapid decision on this matter if the journal is to maintain publication continuity beyond December 2005, we have been asked to have a report based upon membership opinions ready for the Council by mid -September when major decisions will be made on the future of the journal by the Stazione Zoologica. Please return your questionnaire promptly so that your opinion can be taken into consideration.

Discussion of the financial obligations implied by this arrangement have been conducted within the Council. If ISHPSSB assumes this responsibility, it will entail a contribution from the Society of approximately $12,500/year. The Treasurer of the Society has assured the Council that these funds are available. With our support, the Naples Laboratory will continue to support the journal at a rate of 20,000 Euros for at least two years and it will supply staff assistance. The Society and the Stazione will make joint appointment of the Advisory and Editorial Boards. It is also understood that with ISHPSSB commitment, the Stazione would likely continue its support indefinitely.

If approved, the Society will commit itself to a two-year joint leadership of the journal. However, it should be assumed that this will likely entail a longer-term commitment with the assumption that HPLS will serve as the journal officially sponsored by the Society, similar to the relationship that Isis has to the History of Science Society. It will be made part of the membership packet of the Society, with an increase in annual dues after 06-07 of $20 for the first two year cycle, increasing after this to a final projected cost of $90 per two year cycle (i.e. $45/year). HPLS is considered to be a fully international journal and it currently has a substantial subscription base. It also has published in languages other than English. If the society does assume leadership of HPLS, its venue and title would also be expanded to include the social studies of biology.

Some of the pros and cons of this arrangement discussed within Council or at the Society Business Meeting are summarized:

Advantages of Affiliation with HPLS:
* It provides additional visibility for the Society within an international scientific and scholarly community with a regular publication. In addition, it creates an additional outlet for papers presented at ISHPSSB meetings beyond those now provided by the Journal of the History of Biology, Biology & Philosophy, and Studies in History and Philosophy of the Biological and the Biomedical Sciences, especially collections from a session that fit particularly well together.

* HPLS is a recognized journal with a long history and a substantial subscriber list. Affiliation with HPLS would preserve and revitalize a significant international journal, one that many members of ISHPSSB consider to be the main outlet for their work, and it would emphasize the international dimension to ISHPSSB.

* HPLS can develop an editorial policy that clearly differentiates it from existing journals with which it might be seen as a direct competitor. It will also incorporate the "social studies of science" somehow into its title ( e.g. History, Philosophy and Social Studies of the Life Sciences). To demarcate it from B&P, JHB, and Studies, preference will be given to interdisciplinary work- for example, by emphasizing collaborative papers by authors from different disciplines, something no other journal in the field explicitly promotes.

* It is much easier and less expensive in today's difficult publishing environment for the Society to assume an existing journal rather than to establish a new one. The journal could also incorporate the semi-annual Newsletter, hence saving those publication costs as a separate item (ca. $ 4,000 annually)

Disadvantages of Society Responsibility for HPLS:

* A sponsored journal will be a standing expense to the Society, and it will require a membership fee increase (above).

* Once leadership is assumed, the Society will assume major responsibility for this journal, although the present proposal would provide a disassociation clause in two years. This will mean additional work for the Council in directing the journal.

* HPLS has declined in subscriptions and reputation in recent years. It will take sustained effort to reverse this trend and restore it to its former position in the ranks of top-line publications.

* Although it is desirable to have a multi-language journal reflecting our international membership, the publishers under discussion are strongly against multi-language publication. The impact of moving to an English-only format on its subscription base is unknown.

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS E-MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE AND RETURN IT BY MIDNIGHT PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME SATURDAY AUGUST 20 TO PHIL SLOAN AT [log in to unmask] If you wish to preserve anonymity in your response, you may detach and mail the Questionnaire to Phil Sloan, Program of Liberal Studies, 215 O'Shaughnessy Hall, University of Notre Dame 46556. The mail Questionnaire must be postmarked by August 20. You may also send your response as an attached document without your name indicated. Please send these in MS Word format or in Rich Text Format if using other word processors.

1. Should the Society sponsor a journal? (This need not be HPLS.)

____ Approve

____Disapprove

If (1) is affirmative:

2. Should the official journal of the Society be HPLS?

____Approve

____Disapprove

If (2) is affirmative:

3. Do you agree to an English-only publication policy?

_____Approve

_____Disapprove

Other Comments (Brief)

Please return by the end of the day PDT, August 20

*** End of announcement

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Professor Roberta L. Millstein
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History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology
<http://www.ishpssb.org/>

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