A Great War Forum publication?

[Chris_Baker]

Floating an idea.

With public interest being at a high due to all of the centenary activity, could there be a case for a Great War Forum publication? I am thinking of something like a quarterly journal, produced to a high quality, and distributed digitally to subscribers. Something of the quality of the Western Front Association's journals; there have been others over the years, often physically smaller format. If it was priced at a suitable level and production costs could be kept to a sensible level, it could make enough profit to go quite some way to fund the GWF.

Between forum members we must surely have enough knowledge and material to keep such a thing going throughout the centenary period if not beyond. Surely we also have enough editorial, design and production talent to be able to pull it all together. It would of course require some commitment in terms of time and effort, and also over a period of time, by individuals concerned.

Just a thought. Good/bad?

[keithmroberts]

An interesting idea, as many members clearly have papers that might be worth sharing. Produced as a digital item cost could be modest; certainly worth thinking about. We would need an editor, or editorial board to vet items.

Certainly worth thinking about.

Keith

[Neil Mackenzie]

Chris

If we could find a suitable 'editor' it might be a goer - maybe even if just as an 'annual' with, for the next few years, general topics plus articles specific to that Centenary year.

One thing I would like to see is some effort to edit some of the best topics we have had on the Forum (e.g. Machine Gun's at Gallipoli) into articles. Cutting out the chaf and organising the posts into a coherent whole so they tell a 'story'. Even if the story is incomplete it would then be available for any additional information that subsequently comes to light.

[tanks3]

Chris

Good idea. I would subscribe and may even have an article or two

Tanks3

[Anneca]

This certainly is a great idea - I'm for it!

Anne

[centurion]

Me too

[trajan]

I thoroughly agree! I never fail to be astounded at just how much information there is on this forum and I wish that it could be shared more widely! However, being on the editorial board of a peer-reviewed (i.e., international) archaeological journal I can assure you that it does take effort and commitment from those who take on the task. I usually only get three papers a year to read and assess and give a preliminary review and comment on before sending them off to other reviewers for finalisation, and each one takes a full day and usually two: doesn't sound a lot, but it is additional to my other work load - but there again, part of the pleasure in doing it is in getting a sight of so much data before it is made fully public! My only concern with a GWF Journal would be to make certain that there were enough knowledgeable and fair-minded bods around to review the various contributions before final acceptance.

[barkalotloudly]

Chris a very good idea the depth of knowledge on this forum I would suggest is unrivalled anywhere!

[seaforths]

An excellent idea! A digital publication sounds great. To be able to download something searchable would be so good. I've lost count of the time I have spent looking for information posted on various topics in the past that I sometimes find difficult to locate again.

[charlesmessenger]

I certainly support the idea. It should also include forthcoming centennial events. A starting point might be including papers given at the GWF Conference; It does, I agree, need an editor prepared to devote time, with perhaps a small advisory board to vet potential articles.

Charles M

[Doctord84]

Sounds an excellent idea to me. There is clearly a vast body of knowledge and talent on GWF and a publication would be a great way of sharing it

[BIFFO]

good idea im up for it

Biff

[David Filsell]

Happy to offer book reviews

[MartH]

What about recordings of the conference?

[Sepoy]

Excellent idea!

[moggs]

Make it happen!

[Bardess]

Fantastic idea. Digital = international. YAY

[Dolphin]

A brilliant idea - especially in digital format, so they don't have to compete for space on already crowded bookshelves.

Gareth

[Rockdoc]

With so many people, each with their own area of interest, there should be plenty of material. Even if the majority don't know how to write a paper, it ought to keep going for ages. Thinking about that stumbling block, perhaps given that this isn't an academic community, writing guides could be offered? Knowing what the editor(s) are hoping for and the 'house' style might tempt a few more to have a go.

Would there be the equivalent of peer review and a facility to allow corrections/expansions by other people? 'Letters th the Editor' might not be a bad idea.

Keith

[anthony osborne]

Good idea.

May also be a method of forum members presenting histories of soldiers they have researched which may otherwise not see the light of day?

Ant

[archangel9]

Agree its a great idea.

[AlanCurragh]

Agreed, it is a very interesting idea - what we need is for pals to step forward and volunteer themselves for all the hard work!

[Chris_Baker]

Perhaps we could begin the process of gathering a suitable team and set-up by appeal/announcement at the conference, and then broadcast it here?

[centurion]

Agreed, it is a very interesting idea - what we need is for pals to step forward and volunteer themselves for all the hard work!

As Jerome K Jerome once said "I love hard work I can watch people doing it for hours" but seriously I am prepared to put some time in.

[keithmroberts]

I think a discussion at the conference made up of parties who are potential volunteers would be helpful, but others who won't be at the conference should not be excluded from expressing interest.

There are some excellent suggestions, but we will need as a minimum, an editor preferably suitably qualified, or a small editorial team, and possibly additionally someone to deal with drawing formats together, and then a practical procedure for distribution and future planning.

Some speakers might be happy for their paper to be published, others might not, and we unlikely to be able to pay fees. We will need to think about copyright statements and control and such issues.

Chris talked of subscribers - that's another question. membership of the GWF is free, other than for those who make voluntary donations, and Mods too do not receive any funds. We rely upon donations. Amazon commission, and a profit if there is one, from the conference. We will need to consider whether the issue of such a publication should be free or chargeable. If the latter, I would see it as only a small charge to cover any expenses rather than one set to make a profit, but even that option requires management and commitment.

At this stage anyone interested in possible roles, since we have no definite plan as yet, with no prejudice whatever to how things will turn out, please feel free to declare an interest, either publicly or by PM. Sometime around the conference we can try to nail down the skills that we need a bit more tightly, to see if we have a viable scheme.

Keith

NB The GWF Conference is a meeting with talks, it isn't a governing body, but it provides an opportunity for some face to face conversations that will be helpful in practical matters, as well as providing an excellent opportunity to meet up with on-line acquaintances and friends.