Try Evaluating this Electronic Journal

Some general questions to ask about electronic journals:

It's time to be your own Internet Detective!

Here are some pictures and clues from an electronic journal. Take a look at these and try to answer the questions ...
image of the Connexions home page

Which of the sections would you go to first to see if full copies of the articles are available online?

  1. Reviews and Commentaries
  2. Mailing List
  3. Diary
  4. Links
  5. Aims
  6. Journal

http://www.shef.ac.uk/~phil/connex/

What does this URL tell you about the journal?

  1. It is based in the personal directory of someone called Phil based at Sheffield University in the UK
  2. It is a web-based resource located in a directory called ~phil on an academic server in the UK
  3. It is a web-based journal located on a UK academic server called connex

What does the URL suggest about the people publishing this journal?

  1. They work for a commercial publisher?
  2. They work for a formal academic publisher?
  3. They are academics publishing their own Internet journal?

The journal's editor is given as:

image of an email address

Does the email address support the claim of editorship?


The Editorial Policy of the Journal is given as follows:

  • Papers are invited from any of the disciplines under the umbrella of cognitive science: artificial intelligence, cognitive neuroscience,computer science, linguistics, philosophy of mind, psychology, and speech science.
  • Contributions should deal either with theoretical issues or with the theoretical implications of experimental work. Papers of a narrowly experimental nature will not be accepted.
  • Although Connexions is intended primarily as a journal for graduate students, anyone may contribute. Submitted papers will be anonymously refereed.
  • Contributions should be written in a clear, concise and accessible style; needless technicality should be avoided. Contributors should write for an informed but non-specialist interdisciplinary audience.
  • Contributions may be anything up to 6,000 words in length (excluding references).
  • The copyright of all contributions will remain with their authors.

Is the journal peer reviewed?

Is this journal ...

  1. A popular magazine
  2. A trade journal
  3. An academic journal

The subject coverage of the journal mainly involves ...

  1. Philosophy
  2. Cognitive science
  3. Connectivity

At the bottom of the front page it says:

"Modified: 21-Nov-1997"

What is the "modified" date likely to tell you?

  1. The last date the information changed?
  2. The last date the site location changed?
  3. The date the site was put on the Internet?

The Statement of Aims is given as follows:

Welcome to Connexions.

Connexions is a new venture in academic publishing. The Connexions web site aims to provide a forum where graduate researchers in philosophy of mind
and cognitive science can exchange ideas and submit their work to the scrutiny of their peers. The site is not intended as an alternative to traditional
publication. Rather, it will offer researchers the chance to publicise their work-in-progress and to expose it to friendly but informal criticism.

A special discussion list ( connex-l) has been set up for readers' comments on Connexions papers. If you are interested in Connexions, please join the list, whether or not you have a comment to post (for instructions on how to join, see Notes for Commentators and Contributors).

Does the "Statement of Aims" suggest ...

  1. This is the Web site of a printed journal?
  2. That this journal is available both on the Internet and in print?
  3. That this journal is only available on the Internet?

What conclusions do you draw about the quality of this site?

Am I right?

Home | Contents | Quality | Content Criteria | Form Criteria | Process Criteria | Examples | Try it Out
46 of 52 | Previous | Next