ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



Philadelphia, Pa., April, 1914. 



The Ethics of Publication. 



Several times during the past three years articles accepted 

 for publication in the News have appeared in other journals, 

 subsequent to the date of acceptance here but before they 

 could be published in this magazine. From the fact that the 

 News has been receiving material months in advance of the 

 possibility of publication, we assume that it is a not unwel- 

 come outlet of communication for entomologists. With such 

 a bounteous supply, justice to our contributors suggests that 

 we must publish accepted articles as nearly as possible in order 

 of reception, after the current month's reviews and records of 

 literature have been provided for. The enforced delay chafes 

 some eager authors and exposes them to the temptation of 

 ofifering their already accepted productions to other media less 

 crowded at the moment, without advising us of their inten- 

 tions. It is a marvelous thing, only appreciated in its full 

 force by an editor, how nearly unanimous authors are as to 

 the all-importance of their writings and how serious will be 

 the damage to the world at large if each article be not pub- 

 lished within one week of its reception by the aforesaid editor. 

 Irrespective of the question as to the value of the entomo- 

 logical articles that are published, it is true, at present, that the 

 production exceeds the means of publication. It is, therefore, 

 not economical to publish the same article in two journals. 

 The space occupied by the repeat were better devoted to some- 

 thing else. The News does not intentionally publish that which 

 has already appeared elsewhere, except in the case of brief 

 notes or announcements. An author who publishes in two 

 places an article not coming under these exceptions, is the 

 thief of space, as well as of time, and excludes his fellow from 

 the opportunity which his repeat usurps. 



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