Re: A WASTE OF TIME?

["David Krentz" <david_krentz@fa.disney.com>]

Reply to:RE>A WASTE OF TIME?                                 9:46 AM
9/1/98

  Just out of curiosity, what kind of costs are involved in publishing.  I am
by no means an acedemic, but just wish to know what those of you that are go
through to get information to me.
  David Krentz

--------------------------------------
Date: 9/1/98 5:10 AM
To: David Krentz
From: darren.naish@port.ac.uk
George said he would not submit a paper to a peer-reviewed journal,
and here is his reason...

> I didn't say "can not." I said, "would not." There's a world of
> difference here. Like yourself, I have to work for a living. To
> prepare a paper for publication in a journal takes lots of time, and
> it is not a job requirement for me the way it is for a person in an
> academic or museum position. I do not get compensated for my
> research time or for my writing time or for any time that I might
> spend doing dinosaur research. I do not have a salaried position in
> this field. Further, I would have to >take time off from doing
> paying work< in order to produce a paper for journal publication.
> That is, I would get hit >twice<: once because I'm not paid to do
> the work, and once more because I have to take time away from work
> that does pay. And >then< we pile on >page costs<! There is thus
> >absolutely no incentive< for me to produce papers for journal
> publication, and lots of incentives not to.

Without involving myself at all in this debate, please allow me to
point out that there are these things called 'grad students'. Like
other non-professionals pursuing a vested interest in dinosaur
science, they are unpaid for their endeavours and often prepare works
for publication at >extreme< personal cost. I have just lost about 3
weeks of time that should have been spent on (1) writing my thesis
(on Wealden theropods) and (2) preparing my presentation for the
fast-approaching SVPCA meeting because I have spent that time trying
to complete and submit a paper. There are no financial rewards in
publishing this paper, and in fact, supposing it does get published,
it will result in a situation no more, or less, prestigious or worthy
of accolade than were a non-institution affiliated individual to
publish it. In other words, I do not get compensated for my research
time or for my writing time or for any time that I might spend doing
dinosaur research. I do not have a salaried position in this field.
Further, I would have (=do have to) >take time off from doing paying
work< in order to produce a paper for journal publication. That is, I
get hit >twice<: once because I'm not paid to do the work, and once
more because I have to take time away from work that does pay. And
>then< we pile on >page costs<! But do I agree with George that there
is thus >absolutely no incentive< for me to produce papers for
journal publication? I'll let you decide that.

And if wonder if John Hutchinson, Pete Makovicky, Jeff Wilson, Gareth
Dyke, Oliver Rauhut, Steve Hutt and a number of grad students on this
list all feel the same way?

"I sufferred fools so gladly"

DARREN NAISH
darren.naish@port.ac.uk