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.
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
____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
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
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