Two Interesting Developments in the World of Scientific Publishing

The first development I'd like to report on is that Elsevier has a new journal by the name of Computer Science Review. The aim of this journal is to publish research surveys and expository overviews in computer science and related fields. The reviews are aimed at a general computer science audience.

I was not aware of this new Elsevier journal, and my feeling is that its aim overlaps somewhat with that of the columns in the Bulletin of the EATCS. As one of the column editors, so far I have been extremely impressed by the willingness of the members of the concurrency theory community to contribute to the Bulletin. However, when I read at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/710138/description#description that

"Submissions are free of charge and recognizing the work involved in preparing a review article, Elsevier will pay authors for their contributions to Computer Science Review. This amount will be Euro 400 per accepted article for the authors; provided the article meets minimum length requirements (at least 20 typeset pages, preferably more). Book reviewers will be paid for comprehensive book review contributions - EUR 15 per typeset page, to a maximum of EUR 100." (The emphasis is mine.)

I cannot help but being worried about the future of the columns. Paying authors for their contributions to a journal is a remarkable development, and can even be seen as unfair competition :-) Sure, we are not talking about large sums of money, but I am not aware myself of any other journal in computer science that pays its contributors. Do you know of any journal that does so?

I wonder whether this move by Elsevier heralds a new era in which commercial publishers will reward authors, editors and referees financially. I am not sure that this would be a positive development myself.

As Moshe Vardi often says, our currency is reputation, not money. Call me an idealist, but I'd like to keep things this way.

Comments on the issue of payment for journal papers, review articles and book reviews are most welcome. I'd really love to hear what you think about this new development.

Here is the second bit of trivia related to publication issues. The latest issue of the Elsevier Journal "Topology" has appeared without any mention of an editorial board. (The page that normally lists the editors is blank.) I looked at the home page for the journal, and there is no mention of editors there either. The guide for authors states

"For information regarding current submissions please contact [e-mail]."

As you might know already, the entire editorial board of Topology resigned last year. (The resignation letter is available at here. ) The board has founded a new journal, Journal of Topology, published by the London Mathematical Society and Oxford University Press. The price of the journal will be roughly one third of the price of the Elsevier journal. 

This is an example of what scientists can do when they team up with a not-for-profit publishing organization. 

 

Athugasemdir

[Indridi Indridason (IP-tala skráð) 9.6.2007 kl. 13:09]

I have never heard of anything like it.  To me it sounds like a strategy to build up a new journal - but probably a misguided one since I'm guessing that the value of having a top tier publication as opposed to a relatively unknown journal is more than EUR 400.  Of course, it may depend on the nature of the journal and the type of contributions that are being sought.  

What I also found intriguing was that there is a minimum length requirement!   This is unheard of in my field - my experience is that the editors will ask for manuscript that is about 1/4 shorter than the initial submission.