10. Report of Committee on Printed and Electronic Publications
Dr. Warr noted that the Secretariat had assumed some of the operational
tasks previously dealt with by the Committee, leaving the Committee
free to concentrate on policy issues. The major policy issue of
the past biennium has been the question of self-publishing Chemistry
International and Pure and Applied Chemistry. The decision
to self-publish Chemistry International was made, with
the agreement of Blackwell, at the end of 1998. This experiment
has been successful and has provided valuable experience in the
mechanics of self-publishing. The cost of producing CI
has been reduced, and the regularity of its publication has been
improved. The content of the magazine has been improved by publishing
articles of general interest in addition to the normal reports
of IUPAC activities and news of conferences.
Bids were solicited in 1999 from major scientific publishers,
including Blackwell, on a publishing contract. After considering
the bids, the Committee recommended to the Executive Committee
that Pure and Applied Chemistry be published without an
official publisher beginning with the January 2000 issue. This
decision was based mainly on the desire to have greater control
over the development of the journal in the new era of electronic
publishing, as well as on the projected increase in income. At
its meeting earlier in the week, the Committee considered the
implications of this change for the pricing strategy of the journal.
The Committee decided to keep the subscription price for institutional
subscriptions at the same level as in 1999, USD 1166. In addition,
a new option of a three-year subscription for USD 999 was introduced.
All this pricing information should be good public relations.
CPEP is planning to do a press release to publicize these dramatic
changes in subscription prices. The Committee is also looking
into prestigious academic library associations and aggregators/collaboration.
Dr. Warr expressed her delight in welcoming Prof. James Bull,
who has been appointed special topics editor for PAC. The
Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board will prepare a document
about his ideas for participation by editorial board members.
Among other things, he wishes to improve the editorial quality
of papers. (Some editors are keener and more competent than others
to improve upon the papers they are sent.) Dr. Warr emphasized
that the Committee is not only concerned with pricing issues.
The quality of PAC is also very important. Division Presidents
will be involved in this effort and in changing the functions
of the Editorial Advisory Board.
Dr. Warr noted that the future of PAC as an electronic publication
was being studied by a small group, and a recommendation was expected
by the end of 1999. Books will continue to be published in conjunction
with publishers because books do need marketing. Self-publishing
is not a good option for books.
The Delegate from Argentina asked that in future the publications
review provided with the agenda include a full biennium. The current
report covers only the period 1998-9. The period from before the
1997 General Assembly to the end of 1997 is not covered.
The Delegate from India proposed that all IUPAC publications
be sent free of charge to all NAOs.
11. Report of CHEMRAWN Committee
Dr. Norling described the CHEMRAWN Conferences that have been
held in the last biennium and those being planned. One Conference
was held, CHEMRAWN
XI: Meeting on Environmental Chemistry; Latin American Symposium
on Environmental Analytical Chemistry: March 15-20, 1998, Montevideo,
Uruguay. This Conference attracted 261 participants, mainly from
Latin America, had three satellite activities including the IOCD
Workshop on Environmental Analytical Chemistry, and the Future
Actions Committee developed five key recommendations related to
communications, training, spin-off meetings, and a specific monitoring
effort for the Rio de la Plate drainage basin.
Conferences that have been in the planning stage are as follows: