Recent Scholarship and RSOFrom the Editor of the Journal of American History
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The Journal of American History staff is updating the way we provide "Recent Scholarship" (RS) to OAH members while increasing public access to its listings. This change involves discontinuing the print version of Recent Scholarship. As of June 2006, the JAH will offer a more robust "Recent Scholarship Online" (RSO). Currently available as a service to OAH members, RSO is a searchable, cumulative database of citations for U.S. history-related books, book chapters, dissertations, CD-ROMs, and articles drawn from over 1,200 journals. It includes citations to foreign scholarship on U.S. history provided by JAH international contributing editors. The database begins with the Recent scholarship listed in the June 2000 JAH and is continually updated. OAH members already find many current features of RSO useful. They can browse and search for citations; create, save, and print bibliographies resulting from keyword and subject searches; and sign up to receive personalized monthly email updates of citations to works in their thematic and chronological specialties. We will augment the capabilities of RSO by adding such features as the ability to browse JAH book reviews and check recent search histories. The JAH mission in providing RS is to foster interest in and awareness of new historical scholarship. To fulfill that mission better, we would like to reach a broader audience of both members and nonmembers. It is our plan to make a version of RSO available to all who visit our web site, continuing the tradition of free, ungated online access to parts of the JAH that began with "Teaching the JAH" section, which is browsable by all. The ungated version of RSO would be analogous to the current print version of RS. Readers who prefer the traditional print format can still view each issue’s RS online, treating it as a distinct work if they choose--a reader may even print out a version that will be similar in form to the present print RS. To serve the archive-like function of the print version, we plan to have a virtual repository for these online browsable documents, arranged issue by issue. We believe that our expanded online offerings improve on the print version in every way. Ultimately, this change allows us to save a considerable amount of money without lessening the service that we provide. That money will be put toward other projects to keep improving the Journal. The time that our staff saves will be redirected from the production of printed pages to the better gathering and categorizing of RS. During the period of transition, the JAH will provide additional technical support options, including email, instant messaging, and telephone assistance. Current OAH members may access our RSO database at <http://www.oah.org/members/>. |
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