Joint Electronic Publishing Task Force Report

The American Philological Association (APA) and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) Joint Task Force on Electronic Publishing has issued its report. It is an interesting document that reveals keen awareness of the dynamic landscape of both the production and the dissemination of scholarship. The Executive Summary and Recommendations are below:

The Task Force was charged the analysis of particular issues associated with the burgeoning area of electronic publishing, including peer refereeing, freedom of information, intellectual property protection, storage and retrieval of data and whatever other concerns it may identify. Having prepared a policy statement in summer 2006, the Task Force turned to the final report of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) released in 2006 (see sections D “Key Principles” and E “General Desiderata”). After discussion (see section F “Discussion”) and comments, the Task Force has formulated the following recommendations:

R1. Continue with the efforts, supported by the Capital Campaign and Board of Directors, to plan, design, and sustain a portal to digital content.

R2: Form a group dedicated to assessing classical websites with significant instructional or research tools and content through a peer-review process. Consider creating a more extensive optional peer-review process for sites that request it. Provide access to websites via portal, either directly or through linking.

R3. Explore the cost of providing portal access to important by-subscription collections to all members through the societies, or alternatively try to arrange for reasonable individual rates to be offered to members.

R4. Appoint two or three editors and institute a section for postprints (and perhaps other material) in the CDL's eScholarship Repository, or like platform.

R5. Explore a new digitally-distributed series of APA monographs. Appoint a small "development" editorial board of senior scholars to formulate precise guidelines for the series. Present proposal to OUP-USA so that it may exercise its contract right to collaborate in this venture or decline; if OUP-USA declines, the board will evaluate other potential partners. Study funding models, and apply for a startup grant.

R6. Appoint a small group to explore the feasibility of digitizing the APA microfiches to make them freely available in an open-access archive.

R7. Issue a statement encouraging development of a high-quality non-commercial digital library of Latin texts. . . . MORE