Make a Contribution to Your Field
by Archiving Your Written Knowledge
on the Web
James Neill
University of New Hampshire
3 January, 2002
There is no technical reason that any field knowledge can't
have its entire textual knowledge in one global, interlinked virtual
library. The only reasons why this hasn't already happened in most fields
are our human failings - "the sluggishness of human nature and its
superstitious cleavage to old habits" (Harnad, 1999).
Now that it is
possible to self-archive one's work publicly online, we are less reliant on
the pay-for hard copy older forms of publication. Some of course seek to
financially profit from such exclusive publication, but there are also many
authors prepared to share knowledge freely.
So why have more such people not flocked to this medium and helped
create a free, open, global access to written knowledge?
I agree with Harnad's (1999;
http//www.dlib.org/dlib/december99/12harnad.html)
chiding that he delivers in an eloquent essay on this topic. Harnad suggests
one answer he that authors may feel is that there is no place to put their
material. But this is not true - free web space is readily available, local
servers are larger and more reliably connected the web than ever, and there
are several professional websites which will host your material for you at
no charge - e.g., in the field of outdoor education see
http://www.wilderdom.com/research.html,
http//www.outdoored.com or visit our
resource web sites via
http://www.wilderdom.com/OEresources/index.htm)
Authors who worry that their paper will rarely be found may ask
"What's the point?" But search engines are getting increasingly
sophisticated and efficient. Despite the increase in the amount of material
to be scanned, it is getting increasingly likely that the right people will
find the right material. Also meta-searching technology is becoming readily
available and this will make subject-specific searching much more effective.
Many may plead that they lack the technical know-how for archiving their
articles on the web. If that's the problem, universities and organizations
should be taking the lead to facilitate the archiving process as an
investment in the future of their staff, the institution, and the field of
endeavour.
Alternatively authors can simply send their material to sites such as those
mentioned above and the material can be externally hosted.
Increasingly, not having any of your papers up there will become
more and more of a liability. Having well-archived written work is likely to become a
generally accepted indicator of academic professionalism; failure to
do so suggests a lack of interest/ability in communicating effectively about
one's work. Eventually on-line archiving will become a standard, if not
compulsory skill, just as learning how to use a word processor is now a
normal expectation.
In principle, the process is
agonizingly simple. Once your paper is accepted by a journal (or your thesis
is handed in), the final draft is uploaded to the web. Hopefully also you
send out a brief announcement is send out to notify appropriate people. For
an example of how I've begun archiving my own work, go to
http://www.wilderdom/JamesNeill.htm.
Some may cite copyright issues, but this should not be a major issue. As an
author you can transfer to for-profit-publishers all the rights to sell
your papers, in paper or online, but you should retain the right to
self-archive them online for free access for all. For more information see "Copyright
Guidelines for Posting Articles on the Internet".
So really the only question that remains is "When do you plan to make a
contribution to your field by archiving your written material?"
- James Neill
3 January, 2002
PS Another important topic is how to be an effective consumer of on-line
material. On this matter, I'd recommend an essay by Harris (1997)
"Evaluating Internet Research Sources".
Copyright Guidelines
for Posting Articles on the Internet
James Neill
University of New Hampshire
10 March, 2002
Disclaimer: This is not written by a lawyer or
copyright expert. It is based on a synthesis of material I've read
about copyright of academic articles posted on the internet.
An article can be made available on the internet at any of four stages -
as an unpublished manuscript, whilst in review, whilst in press, or after
being published. A basic summary of recommendations for publishing
academic articles on the internet is as follows:
- Unpublished manuscript: For unpublished articles, label
the paper with the date and with a statement that the paper has not (yet)
been published. (Example: Draft version 1.3, 1/5/99. This paper has not
been peer reviewed. Please do not copy or cite without author's
permission.)
- Whilst in review: Upon submitting the paper for publication,
inform the editor if the paper has been or is posted on a Web site. Some
editors may consider such a Web posting to be prior publication and may
not review the paper.
- In Press or After being published: For in press or published
articles, authors may post a copy of the final manuscript, as a word
processing, PDF, or other type file, on their Web site or their employer's
server after it is accepted for publication. Conditions vary according to
the publisher, so permission should be sought. As a general
rule, the posted article should carry a copyright notice acknowledging the
journal publication and provide a link to the publisher's home page.
If possible, obtain the final manuscript electronic copy from the
editor/publisher for posting on the internet. Alternatives are to
scan the published version or to post your own electronic copy of the
manuscript.
For more information see
Copyright Guidelines
for the Web for a general guide and the
APA Guidelines for
Posting Articles on the Internet for more specific details for journals
published by the American Psychological Association.
Why I Write on the Web
James Neill
University of New Hampshire
8 January, 2003
I work in the newest wordform, on the web, because it is fluid. It has
alchemic properties, being capable of near instant communication of consciousness around the globe
through the word. It has more in common with old forms, e.g., shouting
from the rooftops, than it does with print publishing.
Print
publishing worked well for a while as newspapers, etc., but then publishers
and libraries got greedy and shoved too much good stuff away from easy access -
for profit and power. The web puts the life of words
back into real people's hands. Writing got overly serious there for a
while - published in print became
some ultimate truth. But all text is temporary and there is no such thing as a final
draft. Any text is just a like a photographic mosaic - snapshots in time
roughly hewn together.
Its time for writers to work in the new medium. But
this is like convincing stonemasons who didn't believe that metallurgy would work.
We've barely got over the generations of writers who wrote solely on paper, who
themselves had to convince those from the oral tradition that information was
worth writing down. But we need to keep going, and perhaps come a full
circle.
All writing should be done live.
The boundaries between text and speech will blur in the coming century,
particularly once voice synthesizers become common place. Ideas can and
will then be subject to infinite and complex analysis, and machines will
be able to have real conversations and influence human consciousness more
profoundly than ever before.
What we need to do is hardwire everyone's hard drives together,
to allow for the possible telepathic-type communication that could occur.
Sounds risky and impractical, perhaps, but this is what the internet is for -
the connection and relation of ideas and information. Instead of clogging
the net with images, music, and commercialism (and fear) we should be trying to
make every piece of text instantly accessible and analyzable. A small
example of what might be possible with new forms of web analysis can be found at
Google Tools.
Its a just question of who will connect their text to the web.
This is a bit like deciding whether or not to be listed in the phone book.
Will you choose to make available the thoughts and ideas that sit on your
hard-drive available and dare to enter Borges' infinite
"Library
of Babel"?
Other Links to Explore:
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