Annual Report of the Committee on Scientific Communication

Annual Report of the Committee on Scientific Communication
January 14, 2003 John R. Bowen, Chair

The CSC met twice during 2002: in Santa Cruz in May and in New Orleans in November. Our major task in 2002 was to address two dimensions of the production of AAA journals: cost overruns and delays in publishing, and the move towards electronic publishing.

A) Journal costs and delays

1) The problems: A number of AAA journals are currently running annual deficits that exceed their annual dues; i.e., they are spending down their section balances. Some journals, principally those sent camera-ready to the AAA office, have experienced difficulties in producing their journals on times. CSC decided that the appropriate first step was to simply point out the problems to the editors and section heads, and ask for ideas about solutions. Responses varied: some section heads were not aware of the degree of cost overruns; others complained about a lack of transparency at the AAA office and the "double overhead" charged to journal-producing sections, i.e., an overhead based on AAA staff work in journal production and editing, and an additional overhead to cover a portion of general AAA office costs.

2) Steps taken: a) Everyone (Executive Board, CSC, editors and section heads) agreed that we needed to cost out charges so that sections pay in proportion with services received; this is now being done. b) A one-time relief was given to sections in the next budget year. c) Sandy Berlin will discuss with heads, treasurers, and editors, in a series of conference calls, their own publishing plan, relationship between dues and expenditures, etc. d) John Bowen will solicit information from editors on in-kind benefits they receive from their institutions, and then make this information available to current and future editors to help them in negotiations. e) No special steps have yet been taken to deal with publishing delays.

B) Development of an electronic publishing plan

The major work of the CSC will come in 2003, as we receive a report from the Chain Bridge Group on models for e-publishing. In 2002 we commissioned and received the first report from the group, on the current state of publishing, which emphasized some of the issues described above. We met in November 2002 with the editors and section heads for journals produced and edited by the AAA staff to discuss journal problems and the Group report, and also will involve the camera-ready journal editors in the next stages of the process. We consider the process of developing the e-publishing plan as a way to (1) develop a more inclusive process of joint decision making by the CSC and the editors and sections heads, and (2) develop a better plan of oversight and accountability for journal publishing. When the Group presents its next report in late January, it will be sent to all editors and section heads, and the CSC will initiate a series of conference-call or email discussions on the report. The CSC will hold a special meeting in Washington on March 8-10 to discuss the report and the response of sections heads and journal editors, and assess the costs and benefits of each model for e-publishing. CSC then will submit a recommendation on that question to the AAA Executive Board.

These two major items are also priorities of the LRPC.

No special expenses were incurred in 2002; CSC members' expenses were reimbursed qua members of the Executive Board. In 2003 CSC will incur additional expenses for its March meeting; these expenses have been approved by the Board.

We would like to request from the AAA office a progress report on discussions held with editors/heads about budgets, such that we can discuss the report as part of our March meeting.

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