Page 1
     From: Chris Chase-Dunn  
     chriscd@jhuvm.hcf.jhu.edu
     To: wsn, the world-systems network     
 
     Re: comments on the comments about a
     proposed electronic world-systems
     journal.
 
     The issues raised in the discussion of
     the possibility of a new journal have
     been thought-provoking.
     Several contributors were concerned that 
     a new journal would get in the way of the
     spontaneous conversation we have on wsn
     or the timely freedom of posting and
     responding to papers on wsystems, our
     electronic archive. There is no reason
     why that should be the case unless the
     amount of energy and attention is scarcer
     than I think it is.
                   Page 2
     A good journal would require work. It
     would require that articles be reviewed
     and critiqued and improved and
     resubmitted. Publishing an article in a
     journal, whether or not it is electronic,
     implies that it has been vetted by the
     editors. A good journal is respected
     because it publishes quality material. Is
     such material available? I think so.
     Should it be published in an electronic
     world-systems journal or would it be
     better if it were published in existing
     hard copy journals such as REVIEW,
     Political Geography Quarterly, etc.
                   Page 3
     Generally I agree that it would be better
     in the existing journals because they are
     easier for a wider audience to access and
     publication in them is given more
     "credit" among academic authorities than
     would be the case for a new journal, at
     least for a time. But there are articles
     which are rejected by the existing
     journals that might find a more
     responsive audience in an electronic
     journal. And there are very long articles
     and those with long data appendices.
     These are difficult for hard copy
     journals but easy for an electronic
     journal.
                   Page 4
     Right now many, if not most, social
     scientists still haven't figured out how
     to retrieve electronic documents. But
     that is a situation which is bound to
     change fairly quickly. And the technology
     is getting easier to use. If we began the
     work of establishing a new journal now it
     would probably be a year before the first
     issue could be "published."
     The main risk-takers in such a venture
     would be the editors, the authors and the
     referees. The advantage over starting a
     hard copy journal is that no money need
     be risked. That is an advantage in a time
     of scarcity and "streamlining." Failure
     would be constituted by working on      
     something that nobody would read or use.
     Success would be constituted by having  
     good articles that were in demand and   
     were cited in future scholarship. The   
     probability of success would be raised by
     doing a good job, especially in the     
     beginning. 
     Please send responses to
     wsn@csf.colorado.edu