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Is the System Dynamics Society ready for virtual proceedings: some empirical findings and recommendations for action
Author(s) -
Andersen Deborah Lines
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
system dynamics review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.491
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1099-1727
pISSN - 0883-7066
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1727(199824)14:4<367::aid-sdr151>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - publishing , variety (cybernetics) , incentive , electronic publishing , dynamics (music) , computer science , action (physics) , field (mathematics) , world wide web , public relations , the internet , political science , sociology , law , pedagogy , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , pure mathematics , economics , microeconomics
As methods of publishing documents have moved from paper to a wide variety of electronic formats, the publication policies of the System Dynamics Society have also changed from full‐text paper proceedings to a mix of paper abstracts, and CD‐ROM and Web‐based full‐text documents. These changes have been instituted not only to facilitate access to documents, but also to save the considerable cost of publishing full‐text volumes for conferences. Interview research at the 1997 System Dynamics Conference in Istanbul, Turkey looked at participants' access to and use of electronic information technologies for full‐text conference articles. Interviewees reported lack of technology, insufficient knowledge about technologies, lack of professional incentives, and institutional demands as barriers to the use of strictly paperless dissemination of information. The Society will need to consider a multi‐step transition to electronic proceedings, serving as an educator as well as clarifying the roles of the proceedings and the journal for dissemination of differing sorts of information about research in this field. Although it seems clear that the future lies in electronic communication, the speed and method of getting there need careful consideration. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.