Re: An Electronic Journal?

[peterr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Peter Rauch)]

>Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 17:35:33 -0400
>From: vanc@amnh.org (John A. Van Couvering)

>comments and data sloshing back and forth, changing and growing like kudzu.
>nonstop peer review and the temptation would certainly be to open up one's
>analysis and research to comment at earlier and earlier stages.

>Good or bad? Something I have yet to experience, perhaps.

Hi John,
I think the answer lies somewhere in that kudzu. Good Luck!

More seriously, there is certainly no danger, except perhaps to one's ego,
to tossing ideas out at an early stage, and repeatedly, to hear what one's	
peers have to say about them. It may keep you, in a more timely way,
from pursuing some fruitless research. On the other hand, too many cooks ....

I don't think the issue is _electronic_ publishing, taking advantage of all
it has to offer, both during the original publication episode and afterwards
as we hyperlink the hell out of existing documents. The issue is simply
that the medium should retain or improve on the degree of credibility,
verificability, and time-proven standards we've come to expect of
scientific reporting that will keep us all out of trouble as we try
to manage our complex world.
Cheers,
Peter