At 22:26 11/08/2005 -0400, you wrote: >Listserv for the International Society >for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology > >(see the end of this message for directions on how to subscribe and >unsubscribe from this listserv) > >**************************************************************************** > >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. >You are asked to review these pros and cons and respond to the following >questionnaire. >Thank you > >Ad Hoc Committee on Publication: >Phil Sloan (Notre Dame), Chair [log in to unmask] >Jason Baker (Indiana University, Grad Student Representative. >[log in to unmask] >Kathy Cooke (Quinnipiac University) [log in to unmask] >Soraya de Chadarevian (Cambridge Univ & MPI) [log in to unmask] >Astrid Juette (Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition >Research) [log in to unmask] >Staffan Müller-Wille (Exeter) [log in to unmask] >Lynn Nyhart (Wisconsin) [log in to unmask] >Edna Suarez (UNAM, Mexico) [log in to unmask] > > >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.) >Approve > > >If (1) is affirmative: > >2. Should the official journal of the Society be HPLS? > >Approve > > > >If (2) is affirmative: > >3. Do you agree to an English-only publication policy? > >Approve > > > >Other Comments (Brief) Proposed title is cumbersome, even acronymically. Metabiology? Thinking about biology? Bioscience studies? >Please return by the end of the day PDT, August 20 > > > > > >*** End of announcement > > >-- >DIRECTIONS FOR SUBSCRIBING > Send an email message to: > [log in to unmask] > with the following in the body of the message: > SUBSCRIBE ISHPSB-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname > For example, if your name were Gregor Mendel: > SUBSCRIBE ISHPSB-L Gregor Mendel > >DIRECTIONS FOR UNSUBSCRIBING > Send an email message to: > [log in to unmask] > with the following in the body of the message: > SIGNOFF ISHPSB-L >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >Professor Roberta L. Millstein >Listserv Moderator, International Society for >History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology ><http://www.ishpssb.org/> > >Listserv archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/ishpsb-l.html > >Snail mail: >Department of Philosophy >California State University, East Bay (formerly known as Cal State Hayward) >25800 Carlos Bee Blvd. >Hayward, CA 94542 > >Email: <[log in to unmask]> >Phone: 510-885-3546 >Fax: 510-885-2123 >Web: http://www.RLM.net/