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Do we really need this "publication"?   I would be interested in hearing
what you think this journal would offer that others don't. As a non
Shakespearean, I am under the impression that there are more places to
publish articles, books, reviews and "notes" on Shakespeare than on any
other single topic.   Thomas, it sounds as if you have already been able to
find an audience for your work, in fact.  Don't these opportunities exist
for undergraduates who are doing quality work?  In fact, if they had work
that could be published elsewhere, why would they publish with this
Journal?  Wouldn't its very name be a stigma?  Will this just be a place
for students to publish who can't publish elsewhere?

In another vein, there are distinct problems with "online" publications
when it comes to establishing credentials for anybody.  If there is an
editorial review process, with established, not to say distinguished,
scholars on board, then it will be taken seriously by some.  But there are
many graduate schools (or tenure committees) that will be skeptical about
this as a publishing credit. (Of course, they could judge for themselves
with an easily accessible website.)  I'm in favor of digital publication,
so this isn't meant to be a wet blanket, just the kind of reality check
that those of us interested in web publishing have already encountered.

Perhaps the advantages of digital outweigh the objections.  (I can imagine
so).  But if you are going to all of the trouble of establishing an online
presence that can be taken seriously and be sustained over the longer term,
why restrict it to undergraduates?   As Jim O'Donnell notes in Avatars of
the Word, without paper, publishing, mailing etc. costs,  the only real
restriction on online publishing is the stamina of the editors.

I imagine that students at my institution would be potential contributors
here.  We require senior theses that are sometimes quite good, but rarely
find an audience outside of the committees that grade them.  These students
do not always... or immediately.. go on to graduate school.  As to Susan's
comment about being embarrassed by early work.... doesn't this happen all
the time?  It's easier to take a publication offline than to recall copies
of publications though.

Obviously this subject has caught our attention.  I will be interested to
hear how your project proceeds.

Amelia Carr
Allegheny College
Meadville PA  16335