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Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1993 06:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ermel Stepp <M034050@MARSHALL.MU.WVNET.EDU>
Subject: Synthesis
To: DKOVACS@Kentvm.Kent.edu
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Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture: Convergent Synthesis of
Editors' Comments on the Online Planning Conference Integrated
with Earlier Ideas
 
 
The Arachnet Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture is published
by Arachnet. Virtual culture is computer-mediated human
experience/behavior/thought/meaning/action/interaction, such as
electronic mail, conferences, and journals; information distribution
/retrieval; the construction and visualization of images
/representations/models of reality and/or worlds; and global
connectivity. The purpose of the refereed journal is to foster,
encourage, advance, and communicate scholarly thought, (including
analysis, evaluation, and research) in multiple disciplines
about virtual culture.
 
. The current editors of the refereed journal are listed at the end
  of this message. [Other persons interested in an editorial role
  should receive a copy of the call for editors from one of the
  EJVC editors and complete the "notification of interest" and
  forward it to the Editor-in-Chief. When appointments are made
  of editorial roles, announcements will be widely distributed
  to the chief executive officers of the appointees' institutions,
  professional organizations, media, and computer teleconferences.]
. The Journal will have an ISSN and a copyright.
. EJVC will have two main strands, one for refereed articles
  and another one for current commentary/reviews/news.
. The Journal will issue articles as units and in sets,
  commencing on March 15, 1993, with multiple  cataloging
  /indexing specifications, including volume, issues, supplement,
  thread/theme/serial code, and host/pathnames/filename for
  electronic retrieval.
. Each release of the Journal will be 5000 lines or less
  (100 pages or less)
. The official language of the Journal will be English.
. Translations into other languages may be approved by special
  arrangement.
. EJVC seek authors who do not have established publication
  records, as well as established authors with reputations as
  scholars/experts
. EJVC observes the canons of  optimal flexibility, maximal
  functional standardization, minimal hyperstandardization, and
  quality scholarship
. All manuscripts will be given at least three blind reviews
  by a jury of referees.
. All submissions and communication will be by electronic mail.
. No print version of the Journal is contemplated, but may be
  made available in print at the discretion of libraries.
. No subscription fee for the Journal is contemplated, and no one
  is authorized to sell it under any circumstances.
. The Journal will publish certain information in every issue,
  including, for example, ownership, editorial staff, editorial
  requirements, disclaimer, and copyright statement, and
  subscription instructions.
 
EJVC shall emphasize immediacy and currency through open
threads, strings, and series in the publication and
distribution of refereed articles as units and sets as
appropriate. The first issue in any given month shall be
given a volume and issue number. Any issue within a given
month subsequent to the first issue shall be assigned a
number as a supplement for cataloging/indexing/reference.
Appropriate pathnames and filenames for computer network
retrieval shall also be noted.
 
At least one supplement per month will be issued in a
flexible format as "The Cyberspace Monitor". "The Cyberspace
Monitor" shall include unrefereed content such as "Letters
to the Author" (with replies by authors of refereed
articles), comments/reviews on/of other aspects, objects,
states, conditions of virtual culture. Such comments and/or
reviews may pertain to electronic conferences, electronic
journals, networked information systems/archives/tools,
media, software, relevant print (books, periodicals, magazines,
et. cetera), and VC humor.
 
EJVC shall use multiple styles, flexible among articles but
consistent within any given article. Any recognized standard
of style shall be acceptable, with APA, modified for ASCII,
the preferred style, allowing for creative styling if essential
to the integrity of the article. Each contribution shall conform
to the following minimal form:
 
    Articles shall start with an abstract/description
      (< 200 lines)
    Number paragraphs and pages
    Provide internal/in-text citation
    Provide electronic references
    Superscripts in text/endnotes ^2^
    Use blank line separators between paragraphs, which
      shall have no indentations
    Provide only substantive endnotes
 
EJVC shall be archived in libraries, ERIC, and multiple computer
information systems in cyberspace: LISTSERV, multiple FTP sites,
gopherspace, WAIS, and Usenet [also, World-Wide-Web and
multi-continental sites]. Appropriate instructions for the
retrieval of each EJVC document/file/object, including a
cumulative table of contents by authors/titles, abstracts, and
full text of articles, and sets of articles shall be disseminated
to editors, users, and the public via systematic postings and
announcements.
 
All rights are reserved by copyright, except that authors
retain intellectual property rights to their articles and may
re-publish their articles in other publications. The Electronic
Journal on Virtual Culture may be reproduced in whole or in part
for non-profit use for the purposes of education, research,
library reference, or stored and/or distributed as a public
service by any networked computer. Any commercial use of this
journal in whole or in part by any means is strictly prohibited
without written permission. Any use of this Journal in whole or
in part should include proper bibliographic citation, including
author attribution, date, article title, journal, and electronic
retrieval instructions.
 
Editorial Process
 
The role responsibilities in the editorial process must be
unambiguous, without uncertainty, about any activity/task,
relative to what, when, where, and by whom. [LEGEND:
A, Author; EC, Editor-in-Chief; CE, Co-Editor; ED,
Editor]
 
    A:   Submissions may be made on a continuous basis. Deadlines for
         submissions shall be the first of the month preceding the next
         issue--for consideration in that issue. The deadline for the
         submission of manuscripts for the first issue is February 1,
         1993.
    A:   Articles should be 1000 lines or less, including notes
         and bibliography.
    EC:  Submissions, to the Editor-in-Chief
    EC:  Notification of receiving submissions to authors
    EC:  Coordination, protection of anonymity of authors and reviewers
    EC:  Rejection, if clearly not virtual culture, no computer
         mediated relevancy
    EC:  Notification of submissions to ALL editors
    EC:  Disseminate abstracts to ALL editors, with
         reference to theme/strand
    EC:  Retrieval instructions
    ED:  Election to review submissions
    EC:  Quorum of volunteers (3 or more), otherwise
         outside reviewers are to be solicited
    EC:  Editors' specialization/expertise/interests
    EC:  Send submission to appropriate editors
    ED:  Two weeks for review, one week for reviewers to consult
    ED:  Guarantee quality, not mediocre stuff
    ED:  Highly selective and demanding standards
    ED:  Critique submissions with specific analysis of
         strengths and weaknesses, and recommends
         improvements
    EC:  Editor-in-Chief provides author copies of review
         comments
    A:   Revision of draft within one week--based on reviewers'
         comments
    A:   Author forwards revised draft to the Editor-in-Chief
         who relays it to reviewing editors
    EC:  Provides revised draft to reviewers
 
    [Repeat cylce of revision/resubmission twice to
    nurture promising articles to acceptance; reject if
    not promising or satisfactory progress is not evident--
    responsiveness, adequacy of revision.]
 
    ED:  Pass judgment, recommend articles to be or
         not to be published
    EC:  Two specialists + 1 outsider for publication (3)
         or 3 specialists
    EC:  Authors will be notified within twenty days after receiving
         their manuscript of the disposition of the manuscript, except
         notification about submissions for the first issue will be
         distributed by March 1, 1993, allowing for the creation
         and implementation of the peer review process.
    CE:  Archiving
    EC/CE: Distribution
    EC/CE: Secure and provide clerical support
 
Further Development
 
. Two lists/archives, such as EJVC-L
. Narrowly focused discussion lists, if possible
. Clarification of the dedication of Arachnet for discussion
  of virtual culture and EJVC in particular, including commentary
  on articles
. WAIS indexing
. The role of promotional vendors: TC, fax, e-mail, document delivery,
  article-as-unit to strengthen EJVC, increase visibility in broader
  access/wider audience/non-Internet audience
. Alternatives to ASCII, such as postscript
. Using World-Wide-Web to distribute EJVC
. Multicontinental distribution of EJVC
. "EJVC Editorial Guidelines for Authors"
. Using SGML (by S. Weibel and subcommittee)
. Bibliographic Control Policy (by S. Ladner and subcommittee)
. Masthead
. First Issue (by K. Tal and D. Sewell)
  [collection of essays/scenarios, issue call soon (Tal and Sewell,
  Editors)]
. The endorsement, sponsorship, and collaboration of organized
  groups and professional organizations
. Clerical arrangements
 
The Role of Editor
 
Editors shall provide advice on substantive and/or technical
issues about virtual culture to the Editor-in-Chief and
Co-Editor as need arises. The role of editor with the EJVC
involves providing advice, counsel, consultation, refereeing,
pre-release commentary on each issue of the journal
(at your discretion), technical assistance on editorial issues,
problems, and conflicts of opinion that may develop. Editors may
elect to be standing jurors/referees/readers on substantive
topics such as specific networks and bbs, discussion groups
/conferences, ejournals, information distribution/retrieval,
databases, networking tools, or virtual reality.
 
The role of editor with the EJVC may involve serving on a
jury of readers to referee manuscripts submitted for publication
by EJVC and input/advice/counsel/recommendations/suggestions that
may be provided at your initiative or upon request. An editor
shall read submitted papers, judge the quality of papers
submitted for blind review, edit papers submitted for blind
review, advise the Editor-in-Chief about the worthiness
of papers reviewed, and recommend whether to publish submitted
papers as articles in the journal.
 
Specific qualifications include experience as an editor/juror
/referee/reader and relevant publications. The professional
input of an editor will be extremely important and highly
regarded. Of course one may specify any restrictions on such
matters as expertise, time available (or unavailable), and
whether to accept, withdraw from, or reject any particular
request for your service in terms of your own situation at
any given time.
 
In the early, critical, formative stage of developing the EJVC,
especially, all editors should provide confidential input/advice
/counsel/recommendations/suggestions that time may permit, in
shaping EJVC, including but not limited to:
 
1) Nomination(s) of representative editors from multiple
   disciplines/professions/countries (such as business,
   education, engineering, fine arts, languages, law, mathematics,
   medicine, natural sciences, philosophy, religion, social sciences).
3) Suggesting potential scholarly articles/authors. The
   contribution of articles is very important to any journal
   and especially to a new one. We now have a few submissions
   but need to assure a continuing inflow on theory/research/
   evaluation/analysis from multiple disciplines/professions;
4) Suggesting potential special issue(s) of EJVC, on such
   topics as substantive VC concepts/themes/issues and the
   status of VC in countries/disciplines/professions.
   Two special issues are being prepared for peer-review;
5) Identifying/considering/choosing among alternative
   layouts/formats of EJVC;
6) Identifying/stating/choosing/specifying EJVC editorial
   guidelines;
7) Defining/specifying/designing the peer-review process for
   EJVC;
8) Identifying/choosing/implementing mode(s) of technical
   production of journal issues;
9) Identifying/considering/evaluating options for the
   distribution of EJVC:
   (a) LISTSERV
   (b) FTP
   (c) WAIS
   (d) Gopher
   (e) USENET
   (f) WWW
   (h) Others.
 
The Role of Special Issue Editors
 
Special issue editors shall take responsibility for special
or supplementary issues of the journal devoted to a particular
theme or idea. The responsibility includes the selection of
the topic, announcing the special/supplementary issue and
call for papers jointly with the Editor-in-Chief, receiving
submissions, obtaining peer review by specialized referees,
and necessary communication with authors, referees, and the
Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief is to receive by cc,
forwarded mail, or file copies of any and all communication
and/or submissions about the special issue.
 
Editorial Board (EJVC Founders/Arachnet Moderators) (3)
 
Ermel Stepp,  Marshall University, Editor-in-Chief
   M034050@Marshall.wvnet.edu or estepp@wvnvm
Diane (Di) Kovacs, Kent State University, Co-Editor
   DKOVACS@Kentvm.Kent.edu
A. Ralph Papakhian, Indiana University, Consulting Editor
   PAPAKHI@@IUBVM
 
Consulting Editors (16)
 
Anne Balsamo, Georgia Institute of Technology
   ab45@prism.gatech.edu
Patrick (Pat) Conner, West Virginia University
   u47c2@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU
Lydia Fish, Buffalo State University
   FISHLM@SNYBUFVA.BITNET
Cynthia J. Fuchs, George Mason University
   cfuchs@gmuvax.bitnet
Stevan Harnad, Princeton University
   harnad@Princeton.EDU
Edward M. (Ted) Jennings, University at Albany, SUNY
   EMJ69@ALBNYVMS
Michael Joyce, Vassar
   MIJOYCE@vaxsar.vassar.edu or USERTFSG@UMICHUM
Jay Lemke, City University of New York
   JLLBC@CUNYVM.BITNET
Carl Eugene Loeffler, Carnegie Mellon University
   cel+@andrew.cmu.edu
Willard McCarty, University of Toronto
   editor@EPAS.UTORONTO.CA
James (Jim) Milles, Saint Louis University
   millesjg@sluvca.slu.edu
Algirdas Pakstas, The University of Trondheim, Norway
   Algirdas.Pakstas@idt.unit.no
A. Ralph Papakhian, Indiana University
   PAPAKHI@@IUBVM
Bernie Sloan, University of Illinois, Champaign
   AXPBBGS@UICVMC.BITNET or b-sloan@uiuc.edu
Allucquere Roseanne Stone, University of Texas, Austin
   success@emc.cc.utexas.edu
Kali Tal, Viet Nam Generation
   kali@access.digex.com
 
Associate Editors (23)
 
Robert J. (Bob) Beebe, Youngstown State University
   ad219@yfn.ysu.edu
David W. Brown, Ball State University
   01dwbrown@LEO.BSUVC.BSU.EDU
Kathleen Burnett, Rutgers University
   BURNET@zodiac.rutgers.edu
G. Phillip Cartwight, University of California, Davis
   PCARTWRI@KENTVM
Paulo A. Dasilva, Military Institute of Engineering, Brazil
   S9PAULO@IMERJ.BITNET
Jan George Frajkor, Carleton University, Canada
   gfrajkor@ccs.carleton.ca
Dave Gomberg, University of California, San Francisco
   GOMBERG@UCFSVM
Mary Hocks, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaigne
   mhocks@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
Nancy Kaplan, University of Texas, Dallas
   NKaplan@utdallas.bitnet
Brendan Kehoe, Cygnus Support
   bk@well.sf.ca.us
Joan Korenman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
   korenman@umbc2.umbc.edu or korenman@umbc
Steven D. Koski, St. Bonaventure University
   KOSKI@sbu.edu
Sharyn Ladner, University of Miami
   SLADNER@umiami.IR.miami.EDU
Lyonette Louis-Jacques, University of Chicago
   llou@midway.uchicago.edu
Sushil Oswal, University of Cincinnati
   oswals@UCUNIX.SAN.UC.EDU
Joseph Psotka, Army Research Institute
   PSOTKA@alexandria-emh2.army.mil
Martin E. Rosenberg, University of Kentucky
   MROSE01@UKCC.uky.edu
Laverna Saunders, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
   saunders@nevada.edu
David Sewell, University of Rochester
   dsew@TROI.CC.ROCHESTER.EDU
Christinger (Chris) Tomer, University of Pittsburgh
   ctomer@vms.cis.pitt.edu  or ctomer+@pitt.edu
Stuart Weibel, OCLC
   stu@oclc.org
D. R. (Bob) Zenhausen, St. Johns University
   drz@sjuvm.stjohns.edu or drz@sjuvm.bitnet
