AQUA AGM - further contributions

[Paul Hesse]

Further to the e-mail I sent yesterday

- it seems we can continue with the current committee structure and jetison
a 'vice-president's position from the constitution (from Christine Kenyon)

- the reply from Keith Crook contains some very pertinent comments on
several of the issues;

G'day Paul:  As I'll be in Hawai`i and won't be able to attend the AQUA
meeting, I'd like to comment on a few agenda items:

>3. Debate on membership of the Australian Geoscience Council

I strongly support AQUA becoming a member of the AGC, even though a dues
increase will be required.  On many issues that come before ASG, AQUA
members are likely to have viewpoints that are broader/more inclusive than
those of some other AGC member societies/organisations, due to the AQUA's
Quaternary focus.  That focus can asist the AGC to be more effective as a
member of FASTS, once we get a government that is truly interested in
science and its relevance to Australia's future.


>5. Debate on an electronic directory of Quaternarists/AQUA members

Good idea, provided that (1) the whole directory is not available to
would-be advertisers, and (2) that access is restricted to members using
codewords that they record in their access files.  The American Geophysical
Union has an access system of this type.


>7. Debate on electronic publication of Quaternary Australasia

E-publication could be worth pursuing, but cautiously.  Here are some caveats.

(1): A lot depends on the e-publisher's capabilities.  Even if a
"University Press" (like Monash E-Press) is willing to take it on, that may
seem OK - until the next round of government funding cuts.  So any
undertaking has to include cast-iron guarantees a covering long-term
continuity of publication and archiving.

(2):  "Not another journal!".  I'm presently scanning about 80 journals to
keep abreast of topics that interest me.  The justification for a new one
has to be substantial.  I think it quite likely that a substantial
justification can be developed to cover Australian (& Pacific Island)
Quaternary studies.  But don't assume it.  Argue it!

(3)  Readers like hard copy!  After working much of each day with computer,
I am not about to spend more time on the computer to read journals, and
certainly not at home - which is where a lot of my detailed reading takes
place.

As an Editor-in-Chief of "Sedimentary Geology" (an Elsevier journal), I can
tell you that going from a print version to a E-version, or vice versa,
isn't simple, particularly in geoscience where there is a requirement for
large maps and diagrams, including colour.

The best example of parallel hard-copy and digital publication that I'm
aware of is that used by Geol Soc America.  The key to their operation is
that, (1) after each ms is accepted it is prepared for publication and
issued, monthly, in a conventional paper publication.  (2) The paper
version of each journal issue is recorded, article by article, in PDF
format.  (3) A full set of issues of each year's journals are issued on
CD-ROM, in PDF format, in January the following year.

I think the way to go would be to follow the GSA pattern, but substitute
web-site PDF-format publication for paper copy in step (1).  AQUA members
would receive a CD-ROM of each annual volume.  If hard copy is needed, it
can be printed from the CD-ROM.

Note that the International Rules of Zoological (& Botanical) Nomenclature
REQUIRE hard-copy publication for new generic and species names to be
valid.

>> Do our Editors need more work without being paid?
>Potentially less work than now if the technical editing is done by the
>e-press associate editor instead of current editors.

Journal quality rests on two pillars: scientific content, which is the
responsibility of the journal's Editor and reviewers; and presentation -
layout, scale and clarity of reproduced diagrams and photographs, and
choice of fonts - which is largely a compositing matter the technicalities
of which are beyond the competence of journal Editors.  If the E-Press of
choice has experienced people, presentation shouldn't be a problem,
provided there is good interaction with the journal's Editor in the early
stages.





Aloha,                         Keith.



     *****************************************
          Dr Paul Hesse

           Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography
           President, Australasian Quaternary Association

           Department of Physical Geography
           Macquarie University, Sydney
           NSW 2109
           Australia
           Phone  (+61)  02-9850 8384  Fax. (+61) 02-9850 8420
           e-mail  phesse at laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au
     ******************************************