An inability to publish issues of journals at the appointed times is a problem common to many scholarly publishers in developing countries. One solution is to accept and announce a delay by dating a new issue with the actual published date. Another problem is the appearance of some issues out of sequence. This may be due to the desire to produce special thematic issues, which can interfere with the rapid communication of research findings and new ideas. It is also important that reviews of new publications appearing in scholarly journals be up-to-date. The implications for scholarship of delays in publication are considered and the importance of dating articles as well as journal issues is emphasized.
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References
1.
Katzen, May F.The changing appearance of research journals in science and technology: an analysis and a case study. In: Meadows, A.J. , ed. Development of science publishing in Europe. Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1980, pp.177-214. p.179. I am indebted to this author for the ideas expressed in this paragraph, some of them quoted by Katzen from: Steinberg, S.H.Five Hundred Years of Printing, 3rd ed. rev. by James Moran. Harmondsworth , Penguin Books, 1984.
2.
ibid., p.206.
3.
The ACS style guide: a manual for authors and editors. Washington D.C., American Chemical Society, 1986, for example, deals with this aspect under its section 'Ethical guidelines' by indicating the obligations of editors (guidelines 3 and 6 on p. 221). The aim of these guidelines, it is apparent, is to prevent the content of a contribution from being used unfairly by others in their work before the original is published.
