Looking at this from a mentoring angle, as well as a marketing one,  
everyone would do well to consider the fact that the web's search  
engines have changed the way that students do research.  If google  
scholar or google book does not find your publication, you do not  
exist.  If a student researcher is faced 40 pages of search results  
about "can technology", they will begin reviewing the returns with an  
eye to what can they get instant access to simply from google.  If  
you are not there, they will not go find you.  Going further,  
however, is the reality that they will constantly follow the path of  
least resistance to information.  The more clicks they have to make  
before getting to your page, the fewer people will follow the trail  
to the actual article or essay.  That means that if you throw up  
barriers, such as subscription fees for digital interlibrary loan,  
you will loose even more readers since they will turn to other  
journals and sites.  Only the most dogged researchers will track down  
articles that are 'digitally obscure'. I'm happy to nod to the fact  
that most readers of this list fit into that category, but as the  
years pass, you will cease to be the 'average' researcher.

I think our board considers these issues along with cost, value, and  
production value.
Cheers,
Tim


On Dec 19, 2007, at 3:42 PM, Carol McDavid wrote:

> I echo Robert's comments, and only want to add that having the  
> journal online is especially helpful to scholars overseas, where  
> university libraries often don't carry this particular journal.  
> Some do, but unless the uni has a faculty person with a special  
> interest, coverage is spotty.
>
> We also need to remember that even though we do have a business  
> office (and they do a great job) the lion's share of the work of  
> the society is still volunteer. If putting part of the journal  
> online saves these volunteers time, and saves the society money,  
> and expands access, then I'm all for it. I did have some difficulty  
> accessing something I was looking for recently, but the webmaster  
> provided very quick and efficient help.
>
> I haven't read the newest print issue of the journal, so can't  
> comment if there have been recent changes in editorial content or  
> quality. But I have no problems going to the web site for reviews,  
> and offering them to the public for free is great.
>
> Carol
>
> ******************************************
> Carol McDavid, Ph.D.
> Executive Director, Community Archaeology Research Institute, Inc.
> Co-Director, Yates Community Archaeology Project
> Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Houston
> 1638 Branard
> Houston, TX 77006
> www.publicarchaeology.org
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Dean"  
> <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 2:04 PM
> Subject: Re: SHA Journal
>
>
>> I feel compelled to reiterate Paul Courtney's comment on the  
>> benefit of the
>> presence of electronic versions of the SHA book reviews on the  
>> internet, and
>> include my own.
>>
>> I make wide use of free electronic sources of out-of-print or hard to
>> acquire (sometimes reference-only) books, texts, reports, etc  
>> available on
>> the internet.  I would be at a loss without them, not to mention I  
>> would not
>> be able to produce the same level of research.  In fact, there are  
>> many
>> benefits to electronic versions over paper, including search-ability,
>> portability, copying and pasting longer quotations, and  
>> reproduction of
>> images (important to keep the quality of historic maps and photos,  
>> which
>> doesn't happen in photocopies of photocopies, etc.)
>>
>> I applaud any organization willing to put even part of their  
>> publications on
>> the web (especially free to non-members, as the SHA book reviews  
>> are).
>> Increased and more public dissemination of information in  
>> electronic format
>> through the internet is beneficial to better educating others -  
>> who might
>> not have access to the information otherwise, as well as in  
>> preservation of
>> information for the future.
>>
>> -Robert M Dean

Timothy Scarlett
Assistant Professor of Archaeology
Department of Social Sciences/AOB 209
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Ave.
Houghton, MI 49931
[log in to unmask]
(906)487-2359 (office)
(906)487-2468 (fax)
------------------------