From: kristoff@net.bio.net (David Kristofferson)
Newsgroups: bionet.announce
Subject: 2ND AND FINAL CALL FOR VOTES: bionet.journals.note
Date: 16 Nov 92 19:09:30 GMT
Reply-To: biovote@net.bio.net

Voting continues on bionet.journals.note through 28 Nov.  The charter
for bionet.journals.note is provided below.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposal to establish bionet.journals.note

Discussion leader:  Donald R. Forsdyke
                    Department of Biochemistry,
                    Queen's University
                    Kingston, Ontario
                    Canada, K7L3N6

                    Donald.R.Forsdyke@QueensU.CA


I would like to suggest a new Bionet group for the exchange of
information concerning journals. Having had a good idea, done the
experiments and written a paper, one is faced with the problem of
where to submit it. The wrong decision at this stage can cause a
variety of problems, not the least of which is delay. [Of course, not
too far down the line when electronic journals get going, this problem
will not be so pressing.]

Two examples have appeared on the "net" over the past few weeks. In
one case an author was upset that he had received no correspendence
from the editor of a journal for several months. Someone was able to
tell him that the editor had been in an automobile accident and that
may have delayed things. In another case an editorial office had
moved. Manuscripts sent in by courier were being forwarded by regular
mail, with concomitant delays.

Much of the "inside" information on journals is gathered informally,
over the years, so that "old hands" are less at a disadvantage then
"new". Hopefully, some of this experience could be passed along to new
authors. For example, the journal Nature states that "less than 50%"
of the papers received are actually sent out for review.  What does
that mean? 40%, 30%, 10%? If the answer is 10% then papers must be
written with the primary intent of getting over through the initial
editorial filter, rather than satisfying subsequent reviewers.

Apart from use by those who submit to journals, I envisage that the
new forum would act as a bulletin board for journal editors who might
want to post their latest "Instructions for Authors" or announce new
changes in Editorial Policy.

                         Sincerely,

                         Don Forsdyke

------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is open on bionet.journals.note and will run through 24:00 hrs
Pacific Time on 28 November 1992.  Please send your vote to either of
the following addresses:

Address                               Location        Network
-------                               --------        -------
biovote@daresbury.ac.uk               U.K.            JANET
biovote@net.bio.net                   U.S.A.          Internet/BITNET

Your vote should contain a single line:

YES on bionet.journals.note

if you favor creation of the newsgroup or

NO on bionet.journals.note

if you think that the creation of this newsgroup will adversely affect
the BIOSCI system.  If you are simply not interested in participating
in this newsgroup, please don't cast a NO vote, but instead just don't
vote at all.

The newsgroup proposal must receive at least 80 YES votes to pass and
the number of YES votes must be greater than the number of NO votes by
at least 40.  Discussion of the newsgroup proposal is now closed and
we strongly discourage posting any messages in other forums about the
fact that a CALL FOR VOTES has been issued.

				Sincerely,

				Dave Kristofferson
				BIOSCI/bionet Manager

				kristoff@net.bio.net