A new future for publishing?
Dear Editor, Might it be time for GSL to copy the AAPG and institute a web-based source, similar to the Search & Discovery website (http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/), for the rapid publication of papers that may never reach the Journal or a thematic Memoir?
I attended the recent Aberdeen conference on MER and the future of the UKCS, where almost all the papers were excellent and useful; however, there is no systematic plan to publish these as far as I can see – possibly because the overall number was relatively small and the papers very short and focused.
The AAPG set up Search & Discovery a few years ago and papers are published very rapidly after submission. The format is variable, some being simply a copy of a PowerPoint, and I doubt they go through rigorous refereeing or formatting. Most are quite short – almost ‘Notes’ – but contain a great deal of useful information which is available QUICKLY.
The more heavyweight or themed papers still go into the Journal or into a Memoir. I doubt there is much leakage from the Journal papers to Search & Discovery – most seem to be written by contributors who do not have the time to work up a major paper. There is no loss of revenue, as you have to be a paid-up member to access these papers – similar to the Lyell Collection in fact – and a small extra access charge would cover the costs.
Is it not a great shame that much work and information should go unrecorded because our publishing mechanisms remain locked in the past?
Rob Wallace