Listserv for the International Society
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.
MEMBERSHIP
QUESTIONNAIRE:
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.)
__ X __
Approve
____Disapprove
If (1) is
affirmative:
2. Should the official journal of the Society
be HPLS?
__ X __Approve
____Disapprove
If
(2) is affirmative:
3. Do you agree to an English-only publication
policy?
_____Approve
___ X __Disapprove
Other Comments
(Brief)
It is a great opportunity to move the Society
in the right, international, open, inclusive,
direction!
Carlos López
Beltrán
Please return by the end of
the day PDT, August 20
*** End of
announcement
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Professor
Roberta L. Millstein
Listserv Moderator, International Society
for
History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of
Biology
<http://www.ishpssb.org/>
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