0739-4934 Newsletter HISTORY OF SCIENCE VOLUME 36 NUMBER 2 April 2007 SOCIE1Y Isis Three Years In: J\ Progress Report t has been three years since the Isis office moved to York University. I am now a and by the scholar who has taken the lead in organizing the Focus section. Partici­ Ilittle over halfway through my term as edito[ Since~ ~lromrow to Toronto, pants are also carefully chosen and I would say that the quality of the pieces has been we have received and p~ about 310 manru;crtpts, about 100 per year Since the quite high. I also wanted to point out that the space given to Focus pieces in Isis has March 2004 issue was published, 32 articles have appeared in the pages of lsi\', 10 Fo­ really rome from the book review section. We continue to publish the same number cus sections (containing 38 articles), and 845 books reviews (including essay reviews). of articles. In 1CJ)7, my pmltretsor decided to reduce the number of articles in Isf.f Many of the goals we set for ourselves have been accomplished. The operation of the from four to three in order to expand the book review section. When I was selected as office at York is running smoothly. The journal is now back on schedule, though it is a the new edito~; the Committee on Publications was roncemed about the growing size ronstant struggle to keep it there. The Focus sections, OO.ignffi to attract readers in all of the book review section and slrongly rerommended that I reduce it without cutting areas of the field, seem to have been favorably received. reviews of the important books in the field that readers expect to see. We did reduce the let me say a little more about the Focus sections and how they are a-eatfrl. The overall proportional size of the book review section, and in its place have offered one basic idea for each of them has rome about in various ways. In m<N cases, they are Focus section per issue. The number of articles per issue remains at three. suggested to me by a rolleague in the field Sometimes I am rontadfrl out of the blue. There is one goal that we have not achieved. We'd like to publish more articles Other times the idea is floatffi by a member of the Advisory Editorial Board at the annual dealing with science, medicine, and technology in the classical, medieval, Renais­ meeting. Some ideas have rome up spontaneously and fortuitously. My favorite example sance, and early modem fields. We don't publish more articles in these fields because of this is how~ came up with the ro~t for the Focus section on '1he Generalist currently we don't receive many manuscripts from scholars working in these areas. VISion." Robert Kohler phoned me about a survey onllil' that had been sent out shortly Of course the field has shifted enormously over the last few decades. But we want after the journal moon to York. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't too late to submit to go on rerord that lsi\' welcomes manuscripts on the pre-1800 period and that we his re>pOnse. N; ~ talked, he laid out his concerns about the increasing SjiDali1ation have no preference for articles on modem science. Our only preference is for high of our discipline and how that was reflected inkil" articles. This seemed to me to be an quality scholarly work in whatever field it may be. ideal roncept for a Focus section. It naturally cut 3CliEi chronological boundaries and it Although we do receive lots of manuscripts from graduate students and young addressed itr.elf to a major i$ue in the field of interest to all historians of science. When I scholars, some may still be too intimidated by Isis to consider sending us their suggested to Robert that the generalist vision would be a goof subjoct for an uproming work. Potential contributors should keep in mind that we use the double blind Focus section (at this point the first ones~ just starting to appear), hewanml to the peer review process. In essence, the contributor does not know who the referees are notion and agretrl to work on organizing it The result was a thought-provoking set of and the referees don't know who the contributor is. Eminent scholars get no spe­ pieces written by some of our best scholars. If you have any ideas for a Focus sa:tion I'd cial treatment since their identity is unknown to the referees. Again, the quality of be happy to hear them. I can't aro!{lt ~idea, but I certainly the work is the main consideration. Perhaps if I demystify the peer review process do consider each suggestion carefully. it will encourage more scholars to send us their manuscripts. Since Focus sections arise spontane­ CoN11NUJID ON •· 23 ously and are often related to new de­ velopments in the field, they should Contents appear in a timely fashion. I there­ 1\iotes from the Inside 2 Q&A: Rachel Ankeny 14 fore decided that the peer review HSS candidates 3 w~ Babak Ashrafi 15 process would be different for News & Inquiries 7 Future Meetings 16 them in romparison to the From Our Members 10 Dissertations 17 process for the regular ~ 10 Donors 18 articles. The pieces Grants, Fellowships, Sarton Memoriall...ecture are reviewed & Prizes 11 Introduction 20 in-house by me Photo Essay: The Higginson Isis Books Received 21 Bt:!t.'ll! U.GiffliM>, IMS EDITOR Telephone 12 ~~tRwm 24 (I'Boro Jly ..._ ...........) HISTORY OF SCIENCE SOCIETY NEWSL£JTER APRIL 2007 Notes from the Inside History of Science Society Executive Office Meeting Perplexities Postal Address Physical Address By Jay Malone, Executive Director PO Box 11736o 3310 Thrlington Hall University of Florida University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-7360 Gainesville, FL 32611 'VJhen making arrangements for our annual meeting, I con­ W sider myriad issues. Many details are minor, but even minor Phone:352-392-1677 points can become controversial. For example, when scouting sites Fax: 352-392-2795 in Washington DC, I visited three hotels in the suburb of Crys­ E-mail: [email protected] tal City and one hotel in downtown Washington. I considered all Web site: http:/lwww.hssonline.org/ of these properties "Washington locations" and so when the HSS Council confirmed that our meeting would be held in the Mar­ Subscription Inquiries: ISIS, OSIRIS, and HSS Newsletter riott Crystal Gateway in Crystal City, I blithely announced that our Please contact the University of Chicago Press directly, at: 2007 meeting would be in Washington. But graduate students in [email protected]; 877-705-18781877-705-1879 the Executive Office took vocal exception to this. "Crystal City is (phone/fax), toll free for U.S. and Canada. not Washington," they told me. "The meeting is in Crystal City." Or write University of Chicago Press, Subscription I briefly considered announcing this but then remembered that I Fulfillment Manager, PO Box 37005, Chicago, IL had no idea where Crystal City was before I visited the hotels- tell­ 60637-7363. ing people that we would be meeting there would invite confusion. Crystal City is part of Arlington, Virginia, a better-known place, but when I asked an international member about using that name, Moving? her face paled and she said it brought up images of cemeteries. That would not do, so to placate the literalists in the office and still Please notify both the HSS Executive Office and the give members a better-than-vague idea of where the meeting will University of Chicago Press at the above addresses. be held, we settled on "Washington Metro Area" as the location of ~ the 2007 meeting. Welcome to my world. The Marriott Crystal Gateway, not to be confused with the Marriott Crystal City (another not-so-minor detail) is five minutes HSS Newsletter from Reagan National Airport and sits atop a metrorail station three stops from the National Mall. Attendees will be able to enjoy Editorial Policies, Advertising, and Submissions all of what the U.S. capitol has to offer. Why are we meeting in Crystal City and not in Washington? The History of Science Society Newsletter is published in January, April, July, The answer is cost. Downtown hotels are significantly more ex­ and October, and sent to all individual members of the Society; those who reside pensive than those in the suburbs. Our recent meeting survey indi­ outside of North America pay an additional $5 annually to cover a portion of cated that nearly half of attendees (47%) do not want to pay more airmail charges. The Newsletter is available to nonmembers and institutions than $150US for hotel rooms, even if we are meeting in a major for $25 a year. city. Since we are in the midst of a sellers' market, staying below The Newsletter is edited and desktop published in the Executive Office on an Apple that amount is difficult. Dates, too, can make a difference in rates. system using Microsoft Word and InDesign. The format and editorial policies are We are meeting later than usual in downtown Phoenix, Arizona determined by the Executive Director in consultation with the Committee on Pub­ in 2009 (Nov 18-22) because the room rates are much cheaper lications and the Society Editor. All advertising copy must be submitted in elec­ than the first weekend of November. With flexibility in dates and tronic form. Advertisements are accepted on a space-available basis only, and the locations, we will seek the best prices for our meetings and our Society reserves the right not to print a submission.