Re: Bob Carlyon's <bob.carlyon@MRC-CBU.CAM.AC.UK> request to hold on a minute

[Michael Kubovy <mk9y@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob is, in summary:
> In FAVOUR of demonstrations
> in FAVOUR of (or at least neutral about) the internet
> AGAINST references to demos in the literature, except as supplements to
> formal experiments published after anonymous peer review

Let me first spell out how I agree with Bob's position, which does not
appear to be anti-phenomenological. The database Al is proposing would
have the following status as a citation in an article:

(1) The sound file would be analogous to visual stimuli embedded in the
text of an article (e.g. Al's beautiful "Bees and the inkblot"
demonstration). It is legitimate for authors to describe what they and
others perceive in a stimulus. If the reviewers of your article don't
agree, they'll reject the article. Phenomenology works when it works for
those who have power.

(2) The comments by the creators of the demos, accompanying the sound
file, would have the status of non-peer-reviewed personal communication.

(3) The sound file and the attached comments would serve as a valuable
impetus for further exploration by researchers in the field.

(4) The project is not internet-dependent. Periodically, CD-ROMS could
be prepared, with an accompanying descriptive booklet. This part of the
project could be paid for by subscription or covered by the funding agency.

Regarding funding: The innovative service that Al is offering to our
community is different from a journal, and would not require ongoing
peer review. Its function would be catalytic.  The funding agencies
should fund the the first three years of the project on the basis of the
testimony of a sufficient number of established researchers who claim
that this catalytic function is likely to be served well by the setup Al
is proposing. Down the road, before they renewed funding, the funding
agencies could require objective evidence that this function is indeed
being served (how many researchers accessed the database, how many
articles cited it, testimonials as to its use in training, etc.).
____________________________________________________________________

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