I thought Dan Warner had only raised the issue of electronic ~submissions~
to journals, not the question of whether ALSB should go to online journals.
Submitting electronically is no problem.

Should ABLJ or JLSE go totally online?My experience with the IBLJ (as far as
I know, the ALSB's only online journal) is that it's not been around long
enough to have gained the same prestige as most student-edited law reviews,
regardless of the quality of its content or the fact that it does
peer-reviews.  For the ABLJ or JLSE, this would be less of an issue,  BUT...

There's also a feeling among those who inquire about submitting their best
work to the IBLJ that they should not, because the site is not "permanent."
A bound volume of journals is.  (Which is why we tell authors that they can
get a "publication" on our IBLJ site, work on the article  and make some
meaningful changes, then submit to a print journal.)  I think when the top
law reviews go online only,  or when the ABA or American Society for
International Law goes exclusively on-line, there may be a sea-change.

But respect for "tradition" runs deep . . . and, would you really rather
look at a screen to see the latest issue of the ABLJ, or hold it in your
hands?  Giving friends and scholars an electronic "copy" of your "reprint"
just doesn't feel the same.  It may be more "efficient" to deliver it as a
30 page attachment, but something lovely may be lost in the process.

Electronically yours,

DM


----- Original Message -----
From: "Reinsch Roger W" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: electronic journal submission


> Funny that we even need to consider whether academics will accept
something
> new, since part of what we should be doing is accepting new ideas, etc.  I
> am sure that when the printing press was invented the discussion would
have
> been whether or not something that was not hand written is as "good" a
> something that is written by hand.  The issue is not how it is produced,
> but what the content (quality, etc) is.  However, I agree that the
> perception will be that somehow electronic journals are academically
> inferior to the "real" journals that are printed.   Most of us can't get
> out of the "box" that we are in, so I am glad that this discussion is
> taking place because we are building a bigger box.
> Another "real" question is, how does AACSB treat online journals?
> The above is strictly an opinion, I could be wrong.
>
>
>
>
>
> At 05:49 PM 6/5/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >Of course, the BIG question is will schools, especially t&p committees
and
> >merit pay chairs/deans, etc., treat on-line journals with the same
> >consideration as paper journals?  Clearly, acceptance rates, review
> >processes, etc will have to be available for review.  But, is there a
> >strong bias out there against electronic journals?
> >
> >Dan
> >
> > >>> [log in to unmask] 06/05/01 16:58 PM >>>
> >Folks-
> >
> >The ALSB's on line International Business Law Journal (IBLJ) has been
taking
> >email submissions for over two years (more are welcome!). We've done the
> >masking that Fran advises by having the editor  delete identifying
> >information when sending the "MS" on to reviewers.
> >
> >Don Mayer
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Fran Zollers" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 4:52 PM
> >Subject: Re: electronic journal submission
> >
> >
> > > Dan raises a good point, but there would still have to be some
printing
> >out
> > > somewhere (or somehow masking identity) before mailing on to
reviewers.
> > > Otherwise it would be possible to identify the author from the email
> >address,
> > > thus vitiating an important quality the ABLJ has going for it--double
> >blind
> > > peer review.
> > >
> > > Fran Zollers
> > >
> > >
> > > Daniel Warner wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Colleagues:
> > > >
> > > > Independent of the issue of the journals being on line, what about
> > > > electronic submission for the ABLJ and the JLSE?  That is
accomplished
> >by
> > > > attaching the file to an email, of course.  Electronic submission
saves
> >a
> > > > lot of paper, postage, and time, at least at the submitter's end.
> > > >
> > > > Obviously at some juncture a reviewer needs to print the thing out.
> > > > Overall, I would think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
There i
> >a
> > > > web site you may be familiar with that lists all the journals that
> >accept
> > > > electronic submissions:
http://www.nku.edu/~chase/libesubmission.html .
> > > >
> > > > Dan Warner
> > > >
> > > > Prof. Daniel M. Warner
> > > > Dept. of Acct.  (Business Legal Studies)
> > > > MS 9071, Western Washington University
> > > > 516 High St.
> > > > Bellingham, WA 98225
> > > > voice: (360) 650-3390
> > > > fax: (360) 650-4844
> > > > [log in to unmask]