NOTRE DAME JOURNAL OF FORMAL LOGIC
Reviewer's comments: In the four issues examined, the number of articles per issue varied a lot: one had two articles, one had six and two had 16. The average length of papers was 10 pages; however, papers ranged from two to 74 pages long. Almo st all of the papers were extremely technical. There were several papers on set theory as well as several on model theory. There were also papers on recursive function theory, type theory, modal logic, temporal logic, relevance logic, mereology, prototh etic, syllogistic logic, intuitionistic logic and other topics. Three articles were not particularly technical: one was on analyticity and analytical truth, another on implication and presupposition, and a third on Russell's first theory of denoting and quantification. The length of time between receipt of articles and publication varied from one and one-half to six years. The average length of time was two and one-half years.
Judged by editorial statements and journal issues, the editors of this journal are more interested in receiving articles concerned with applying formal logic to natural language than are the editors of The Journal of Symbolic Logic. (DB)
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 1,100. Focus: General. Editorial address: Prof. Hector-Neri Castaneda, Department of Philosophy, Indiana University, Sycamore 126, Bloomington, IN 47405. Send original and one copy prepared according to instructions i n Nous, accompanied by self-addressed stamped envelope for manuscript's return and $1.00 from subscribers or $4.00 from non-subscribers to cover handling. Processing time: 2-3 months. Blind reviewing if contributors request it. Referees' commen ts edited and sent anonymously, except for Prof. Castaneda's additional comments and suggestions. Acceptance rate: 40%. Average wait till publication: 1 to 1-1/2 years. Accepted authors should wait: no. Special topic issues: yes, topics not announc ed in advance. Book reviews: yes.
Editorial statement: Nous publishes quality essays and brief discussions on philosophical problems regardless of the author's philosophical school or point of view. From time to time Nous will publish symposia, surveys of work recen tly done on specially selected philosophical topics, critical reviews of recent books and catalogues of recent publications in philosophy.
Questionnaire summary: Journal seeks work in any area of philosophy, conceived as a network of problems, rather than a history of issues. (Its motto is "Nihil philosophicum alienum a nobis putamus.") Editor or editorial board reject 10% of papers when screening to make sure papers formulate a well-defined problem and appear to advance a new solution, a new slant or some insightful way of looking at the problem. The rest go to two external reviewers. "If at least one referee expla ins clearly why the paper is weak, it is declined. If the two referees are somewhat doubtful, sometimes a third referee is brought in. The general principle is this: we prefer to err by not publishing a good paper (which in any case will be published i n another good journal) rather than publishing a paper that doesn't advance the discussion of the issues beyond the level it has reached in Nous." Major revisions requested of 30 percent of accepted manuscripts. Most common reason for reject ion is that paper doesn't advance the discussion beyond the level reached in Nous or other journals.
Book review policy is unusual: all reviews sent to the author for inspection; author's response sent, unedited, to the reviewer. Journal uses volunteer reviewers and would print unrequested reviews if they conformed to journal's conception of reviews a nd were revised to take into consideration any legitimate complaints of the author. Three percent of invited reviews rejected.
Reviewer's comments: Nous continues to emphasize technical work on problems of current interest among analytic philosophers in the areas of philosophy of language , metaphysics, philosophy of logic and epistemology. This is, however, only an emphasis, not an exclusive interest. Another major interest is in the history of philosophy (three articles in 1985). Nous also includes articles using new techniques or approaches in analytic philosophy to discuss old problems. For example, an article by Patrick Grim applies recent work on indexicals to the question whether there can be an omniscient being.
The first issue of each volume contains papers and abstracts of papers selected from those to be presented at the APA Central (formerly Western) Division Meetings. The three remaining issues in 1985 contained 22 articles and one "Critical Study" ;--an article-length book review. The 1985 volume also contained 27 shorter book reviews of one to eight pages. According to Editor Castaneda, aside from a brief discussion of an article previously published in Nous that may appear from time to t ime, publication of discussion notes has been essentially discontinued. In 1985 only one such discussion note appeared, none the previous year. The 1985 articles ranged in length from five to 39 pages, with the average length about 18 pages. Except for an occasional article with extensive notes, most articles include only minimal notes. References are collected at the end of each article. (TT)
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 850. Focus: General. Editorial address: School of Philosophy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0451. Send two doublespaced copies with notes at end and self-addressed stamped envelope for manusc ript's return. Follow MLA style. Processing time: 2-3 months. Blind reviewing except when reviewer wants to be known to author. Referees' comments in most cases sent. Acceptance rate: 8%. Average wait till publication: 6-12 months. Accepted author s should wait: no. Special topic issues: occasionally (1/7 of time), with 20-30% of articles invited, topics announced in advance. Ratio of contributed to invited pieces: 9/1. Book reviews: no.
Editorial statement: Original manuscripts of high quality from all areas of philosophy will be considered. They must not be submitted simultaneously elsewhere. As a general rule, manuscripts should be limited to 30 pages, including notes.
Questionnaire summary: Incoming manuscripts acknowledged; editors reject 70 percent on preliminary reading and send 30 percent out to one external reviewer. Most manuscripts rejected for lack of quality; major revisions occasionally requested.< P> Reviewer's comments: (Based on the 1984 issues--this reviewer's library received copies 13 to 18 months later than dates printed on covers.) The four issues in the 1984 volume contain 30 articles. There are no discussion notes or reviews as such , though one article amounted to a discussion of a previous PPQ article. Articles that rely on a large literature often collect at the end a list of references; most articles include about a page of notes. Many articles are divided into numbered sections, sometimes with subheading. Excluding notes and references, the average article contains 6,000 to 10,000 words.
Of the 30 articles surveyed, four were chiefly historical (on Plato, Locke, Reid, Kant and Russell). No articles considered hermeneutics, phenomenology or speculative metaphysics. About a quarter of the articles concerned relativism and realism (discuss ing Quine, Davidson, Dummett, Putnam). Another quarter fell within philosophy of language (discussing Tarski, Stalnaker, Kripke, Chomsky, Searle). Another quarter fell within epistemology or philosophical psychology. There was a smattering of articles in fields like ethics, philosophy of religion and metaphysics.
The usual article attacks a rather large question, though the occasional article will examine a particular author, book or theory. Articles are written almost exclusively with an analytic approach. Moderate use of technical symbols from formal logic and its familiar extensions is acceptable. Some papers become moderately technical. References do not stray far beyond philosophy. There is about one proofreading error per page. (SHV)
PHILOSOPHIA: Philosophical Quarterly of Israel
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 700. Focus: General. Editorial address: Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52100, Israel. Send two doublespaced copies and a 100-word abstract. Processing time: varies. Authors' names not concealed from reviewers, but reviewers' names always concealed from authors. Contributors always receive referees' comments, sometimes with a few sentences deleted. Acceptance rate: 25%. Average wait till publication: 1-1/2 to 2 years. Accepted authors should wait: no. Specia l topic issues: occasionally, topics not announced in advance. Few invited pieces. Book reviews: yes.
Editorial statement: Philosophia publishes contributions (articles, discussion notes, critical studies, book reviews, etc.) in analytic philosophy from all parts of the world.
Questionnaire summary: Greatest preference for work on original issues and replies to articles in Philosophia; prefers analytic philosophy to non-analytic philosophy. Somewhat prefers articles by well-known philosophers; no geographical preferences. Editor screens incoming manuscripts, checking for reasonable content, form and length and rejecting one-fourth and accepting one-fourth. The rest go out to one or two referees, who are not asked to return a manuscript if they cannot read it within a certain time. Author's reply to referees' comments considered. Papers needing major revisions usually rejected. Occasionally editor suggests a specialized journal for a rejected paper. Most common reasons for rejection are negative report ab out lack of new insight or significant mistakes.
Journal uses volunteers for book reviews; an unrequested review would have to be a very interesting review of a recent book in order to be printed. Almost no invited reviews rejected or sent back for revision.
In the past year, journal published 22 regular articles, totalling 319 pages, one reply of two pages, 16 book reviews, totalling 104 pages and three pieces in the "Problem Section," totalling 24 pages.
Reviewer's comments: Philosophia offers articles on a wide variety of topics within analytic philosophy in a variety of formats (articles, discussion notes, critical studies, book reviews and problem sections). The subject matter of the va rious articles appears to be fairly well balanced, so that no one area or particular topic dominates the pages of the journal. Historical studies are included, as are occasional articles and reviews on non-analytic philosophy.
In Volume 15 (1985-6), full-length articles are about 15-20 pages long, although longer ones occasionally appear. Discussion pieces include comments on books and non-Philosophia journal articles as well as on work previously published in Philos ophia. About five of the Volume 15 articles can be classed as discussion pieces. In the "problem sections," contributors present philosophical paradoxes and puzzles or offer proposed solutions or comments on those previously presented. (C ompare the similar numbered problem pieces in Analysis.) (TT)
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 725. Focus: All areas of philosophy. Editorial address: A.J. Ellis, Moral Philosophy Department, The University, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL, Scotland. Acceptance rate: nearly 100%. Accepted authors should wait: no. Special topic issues: occasionally, with almost 100% of articles invited, topics not announced in advance. Almost all contributions invited.
Editorial statement: Philosophical Books was founded by the Analysis Committee in 1960. The journal aims to provide prompt, scholarly reviews of new professional books and journals in philosophy and the history of philosophy, and it offers a more extensive review coverage than other journals in this field. It includes a regular Discussion feature in which the authors of selected titles have the opportunity to reply to reviewers. Special issues are sometimes devoted to a single the me.
Questionnaire summary: Philosophical Books publishes only book reviews. It welcomes offers to review particular books, or books in certain areas of philosophy. Reviews should be 800-1500 words long. No invited reviews rejected, some occa sionally sent back for very minor revisions. For unsolicited reviews, book should be fairly recent and important and review should be up to journal's standard.
Reviewer's comments: In the four issues published yearly, Philosophical Books presents 20 to 25 book reviews per issue. Reviews run about two pages each. The books reviewed include British and American publications. Edited collections are included. The lag between a book's publication date and its review is usually under one year. Reviews are categorized under History of Philosophy and Contemporary Philosophy, with most reviews in each issue in the second category. Books in ethics are most frequently reviewed. During 1985, no feminist philosophy books were reviewed although reviews by women philosophers were published. (SAW)
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 450-500. Focus: General. Editorial address: Department of Philosophy, University College of Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales, or G. Kent Kendl, Department of Philosophy, South Dakota State University, Brookings , SD 57006. Processing time: one month. Authors' names not concealed from reviewers, reviewers' names concealed from authors. Comments sent if an editor so wishes. Acceptance rate: 20%. Average wait till publication: 1-1/2 to 2 years. Accepted au thors should wait: no. Special topic issues: once every two or three years, with no articles invited, topics announced in advance. No invited articles. Book reviews: yes.
Questionnaire summary: Publishes articles in Wittgensteinian spirit, with this interpreted in a very broad sense; prefers articles by "name" philosophers. All incoming manuscripts read by three assessors on editorial staff, who decide to accept or reject. Major revisions requested very seldom. Journal would use the services of qualified volunteers for book reviews and never rejects invited reviews or sends them back for revision. Would print uninvited review if editors were impress ed by it and had not assigned that book to anyone yet.
In the past year, journal published 13 regular articles, averaging 15 pages each, two replies, about seven pages each and 10 book reviews, about five pages each.
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 1,600. Focus: Social and political philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, applied philosophy, philosophy of economics and feminist philosophy. Editorial address: Box 239, Baruch College of CUNY, 17 Lexington Ave., New York, N Y 10010. Send three doublespaced copies with wide margins, and return postage. Processing time: 4 months. Blind reviewing. Authors receive referees' comments that are likely to be useful or informative for them. Acceptance rate: 20%. Average wai t till publication: 4 months. Accepted authors should wait: no. Special topic issues: annually, with 80% of articles invited, topics announced in advance. Ratio of contributed to invited pieces: usually, 4/1. Book reviews: no.
Editorial statement: The Philosophical Forum publishes contributions of all types: critical and constructive, systematic and fragmentary, speculative and scholarly, substantive and historical. In particular, the editors want to give new v oices a chance to be heard, to encourage the exchange of views among philosophers and practitioners in other fields of the humanities, the natural and social sciences, education, religious studies and the arts; and to stimulate a broader critical perspec tive in philosophy itself and in those other domains of thought and action in which we live our lives and pursue our hopes. As an antidote to dogmatism and parochialism, we foster a deliberate pluralism and encourage boundary violations at the borders of philosophical canon. Our purpose: openminded discussion which aims not so much at agreement as at lively response.
Questionnaire summary: Journal prefers work on philosophical issues to history of philosophy pieces, criticisms of articles in The Philosophical Forum to articles in other journals and non-analytic philosophy to analytic philosophy. Seeks articles that are clear, original and, above all, interesting; authors should clearly articulate their position, avoid jargon or unnecessary technicalities, shun fashion and offer clear and rigorous arguments. Internal editorial board reviews incoming m anuscripts, rejecting 40 percent, selects appropriate outside referees for the rest and reaches its decision in the light of referees' comments. When the timeliness and quality of a manuscript necessitate an expedited process, it may be accepted without outside reviews. Major revisions usually only suggested; minor revisions requested of about 40 percent of accepted articles. Articles most often rejected for being unoriginal, primarily expository or philosophically dull.
Reviewer's comments: The Philosophical Forum usually has four or five articles per issue. The Fall-Winter 1984-85 issue was a double one on the Holocaust. Most of that issue's ten contributors had backgrounds in philosophy, and as in most other issues, most articles used an analytical philosophical approach. Topics covered included those in ethics and social and political philosophy. In Spring 1985, there were five articles on sexuality-slavery and Marcuse and Hegel. The Summer 1985 is sue included three articles on Marx, which averaged 20 pages. Familiarity with philosophical literature is sometimes assumed in the discussions. Articles make extensive use of footnotes and frequent use of references. (GW)
Frequency: 3/year. Circulation: 350. Focus: General. Editorial address: University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg, 2001 South Africa. Send two nonreturnable copies. Processing time: 5-6 weeks. Blind reviewing at author's request ("but may delay a decision"). Authors of rejected or conditionally accepted papers receive referees' comments when potentially helpful. Acceptance rate: 25%. Average wait till publication: 10 months. Accepted authors should wait: n ormally 12 months. Special topic issues: perhaps in future; topics would be announced in advance. Ratio of contributed to invited pieces: 3/1. No galleys to authors yet. Book reviews: no.
Editorial statement: Philosophical Papers is issued three times a year and publishes papers, including articles, notes and critical studies, in the broad analytical tradition. Although Philosophical Papers is based in South Africa, it is not associated with the South African Government, and the members of the Editorial Board regard the policy of Apartheid as an infringement of human, civil and academic rights and an affront to human dignity. A statement to this effect appears promi nently in each issue of the journal.
Questionnaire summary: Analytic philosophy only; journal particularly seeks more papers in social and political philosophy and ethics. Replies to articles in other journals acceptable. Editors read and accept or reject some papers, send those o utside their areas of expertise to one or two referees. Referees' reports and recommendations normally accepted unless plainly unjust. One in eight accepted papers are accepted subject to major revisions. Limit of 10,000 words for articles. Editors es timate they will publish 15 regular articles, averaging 13-14 pages each, in 1986.
Frequency: 4/year. Focus: General. Editorial address: The University of St. Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9AL. Enclose self-addressed envelope and postage or International Reply Coupons for return of submissions. Processing time: about 1 month. Authors' names not concealed from reviewers; reviewers' names always concealed from authors. Referees' comments sent on, but not always in full, when Executive Editor thinks they would be helpful. Average wait till publication: 15 months. Accepted authors shou ld wait: no rule. Special topic issues: irregularly, with less than 10% of articles invited, topics usually announced in advance. Ratio of contributed to invited pieces: 22/1. Book reviews: yes.
Questionnaire summary: Welcomes articles in applied philosophy; no nonanalytic philosophy or replies to articles in other journals. Incoming articles acknowledged, passed to a reader, usually a member of the editorial board, sometimes to a secon d reader. Chairman makes final decision. To pass screening, manuscript must be original, prima facie cogent, intelligible to the philosophical community in general and not excessively long. Rejections may be provisional; most common reason for rejecti on is lack of originality. Book reviews by invitation only.
In the past year, journal published 23 regular articles, averaging 14.6 pages, nine replies, averaging 6.4 pages, 22 book reviews, averaging 2.7 pages and four critical studies, about 14.7 pages long each.
Reviewer's comments: An issue of The Philosophical Quarterly usually contains several articles, discussions and reviews. The articles, which may be on historical figures as well as contemporary topics in the fields of ethics, metaphysics an d epistemology, largely reflect Anglo-American philosophical orientations. They are tightly argued, often technical essays, frequently less than 15 pages, but sometimes up to 30. They uniformly exhibit philosophical sophistication and conversance with p ertinent literature. The journal offers an annual essay prize. (RP)
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 3,000. Focus: Most areas of philosophy. Editorial address: 220 Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Manuscripts should be doublespaced throughout with wide margins; follow journal's style for q uotation marks. Processing time: 2-3 months. Blind reviewing. Acceptance rate: 5%. Average wait till publication: 6-9 months. Accepted authors should wait: 3 months. Special topic issues: none. No invited articles. Book reviews: yes.
Questionnaire summary: Analytic philosophy only; no replies to articles in other journals. Prefers work on new and currently popular issues; also likes work on traditional issues with a new approach and replies to articles in The Philosophic al Review. Incoming articles prepared for blind review and read by two editors before author's name is revealed. Exceptional articles receive comments. Editors look for exceptionally well-written articles that present arguments well. Material must not have appeared elsewhere in book or article form. Manuscripts usually rejected for being unoriginal, poorly written or poorly argued.
No invited book reviews rejected, five percent sent back for revision. Unrequested reviews might be printed if they were exceptionally well written and pertinent to subject matter, but in general journal does not want volunteers for book reviews.
Reviewer's comments: In 1985 the journal published 12 articles and one discussion piece. Their average length was 26 pages; the range in length was 14 to 52 pages. The 46 book reviews published averaged three and a half pages. Articles were on topic in ethics (four), philosophy of logic or mathematics (three), metaphysics (two), philosophy of psychology (two), action theory, aesthetics and philosophy of science. Three of these were historically oriented. Two articles were to a large extent cr itical. Most articles advanced original theses, defending them by careful argument and analysis. Articles are accessible to philosophers who do not specialize in the area of philosophy with which the article is concerned. The journal's type is very eas y to read. (MR)
Frequency: 6/year. Circulation: 900. Focus: Epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of mind, of language and of math and science. Editorial address: John L. Pollock, Department of Philosophy, 213 Social Sciences Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.
Editorial statement: Philosophical Studies was founded in 1950 by Herbert Feigl and Wilfred Sellars to provide a periodical dedicated to work in analytic philosophy. The journal is devoted to the quick publication of analytical contributio ns, particularly (but not exclusively) in epistemology, philosophical logic, the philosophy of language and ethics. Papers applying formal techniques to philosophical problems are particularly welcome. The principal aim is to publish articles that are m odels of clarity and precision in dealing with some significant philosophical issues. Articles in the journal are intelligible to philosophers whose expertise lies outside the subject matter of the article. It is intended that a diligent reader of the j ournal will be kept informed of the major problems and contributions of contemporary analytic philosophy.
Reviewer's comments: Philosophical Studies publishes articles in epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language and, to a lesser extent, moral philosophy. Like the Australasian Journal of Philosophy, its approach is analyt ic and topical, although it tends to eschew symbolisms more so than AJP. Phil Studies, unlike AJP, does not publish a separate section for discussion papers or book reviews. However, some of the articles are critical discussions of books and previously published papers. Submissions vary in length, although most papers are in the 12- to 15-page range. Extensive notes and a separate bibliography are included at the end of each piece. Time from receipt to publication seems to averag e 10 months. Each issue contains about nine articles. (LK)
Circulation: 300. Editorial address: 127 Kimpel Hall, Fayetteville, AK 72701. Special topics only, with all articles invited; topics announced in advance. No unsolicited articles or book reviews.
Frequency: 4/year. Focus: General. Editorial address: Mr. Renford Bambrough, Royal Institute of Philosophy, 14 Gordon Square, London WC1H OAG, England. Send one doublespaced typescript, retaining copy for checking proofs. See details on citation and quotation style in journal. Enclose self-addressed envelope and postage or International Reply Coupons. Book reviews: yes.
Editorial statement: The editorial policy of the journal pursues the aims of the Institute: to promote the study of philosophy in all its branches: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, social and political philosophy and the philosophie s of religion, science, history, language, mind and education. The Institute is not committed to any school or method and its membership is not restricted to those with special qualifications in philosophy. Contributors are expected to avoid all needle ss technicality.
Reviewer's comments: Volume 60 (1985, four issues) contains 24 articles (six in each issue) ranging in length from eight to 22 pages, with most between 14 and 17 pages. In addition, each issue has three or four discussion notes (averaging four pag es) and five to seven book reviews (mostly two pages, but up to seven pages). Among the article authors, contributors from the United Kingdom dominate (12 of the 24 as against seven from the U.S., three from Australia and two from New Zealand) and even m ore in the discussion notes (11 of 15 from the U.K.). All contributors have institutional affiliation. Two are graduate students. Each issue also contains an editorial (on topics ranging from eugenics to the career value of philosophy), booknotes and c onference announcements.
Topics vary widely, including ethics (six articles), philosophy of mind (four), political philosophy (three), philosophy of science, philosophy of logic, philosophy of literary criticism, metaphysics and historical philosophers (Berkeley, Rousseau). Some are difficult to classify (e.g., an article on "Angels" that goes from Aquinas through Hobbes, Locke and Kant to Davidson). Footnotes are brief and jargon is discouraged. (The editor complains of having to replace "iff" with "i f and only if" and observes, "We have a statutory duty as well as an ingrained inclination to censor needless technicality.") Humor appears to be welcomed. (FOC)
Frequency: 2/year. Circulation: 1,500. Focus: Philosophy and literature. Editorial address: Denis Dutton, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, or Patrick Henry, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Send two high-quality, nonr eturnable copies or stamps or funds for return postage; computer printouts accepted if letter quality and unjustified. Processing time: 3-4 months. Blind reviewing only if author prepares manuscript for it; reviewers' names sometimes concealed from authors. Referees' comments not sent. Acceptance rate: 10%. Average wait till publication: one year or less. Accepted authors should wait: no. Special topic issues: none. Ratio of contributed to invited pieces: 10/1. Book reviews: yes.
Editorial statement: Philosophy and Literature welcomes contributions appropriate to the journal. These may include philosophical interpretations of literature, literary investigations of classic works of philosophy, articles on the aesthet ics of literature, philosophy of language relevant to literature and the theory of criticism. Though the journal owes allegiance to no particular school or style of criticism or philosophy, its editors prefer contributions free of jargon or needless tech nicality.
Questionnaire summary: Journal seeks work on original issues, replies to articles in Philosophy and Literature and articles by well-known philosophers. No replies to articles in other journals. Editor reads all incoming manuscripts, lookin g for interesting, well-written articles relevant to the aims of the journal, rejecting 50 percent and sending 40 percent to one or two external reviewers. Ten percent of manuscripts rejected for inappropriate manuscript preparation and an equal number f or excessive length. Major revisions requested five percent of the time.
Volunteers routinely used for book reviews; unrequested reviews printed when editors like them. Of invited reviews, 10 percent rejected, 10 percent sent back for revision.
In the past year, journal published 17 regular articles, about 12 pages each, five replies, about five pages each and 42 book reviews, around 1-1/2 pages each.
Reviewer's comments: Number 2 of Volume 9 (October 1985) and Number 1 of Volume 10 (April 1986) each contained five articles ranging from seven to 23 pages. In a section entitled "Notes and Fragments" there were two articles in each iss ue, two to eight pages long. Footnotes took up a quarter of a page to 1-1/2 pages of additional space. Six articles discussed or were influenced by contemporary French thought (mainly Derrida) and two addressed hermeneutic theory (Gadamer). Other artic les focussed on standard figures such as Plato and Kant. The style of the articles varied--some were straightforwardly argumentative (traditionally "philosophical"), some more literary in tone and one was written in an experimental, "poeti c" style. (TL)
PHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 1,800. Focus: General. Editorial address: Box 1947, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912. Send two copies along with a 250-word abstract and a self-addressed stamped envelope for manuscripts' return. Processing t ime: 6 weeks. Blind reviewing only if author specifically requests it. Referees' comments nearly always sent to contributors. Acceptance rate: 11%. Average wait till publication: one year. Accepted authors should wait: no. Special topic issues: none. No invited pieces. Book reviews: yes.
Editorial statement: PPR publishes articles in a wide range of areas including philosophy of mind, epistemology, ethics, metaphysics and philosophical history of philosophy. No specific methodology or philosophical orientation is required i n submissions.
Questionnaire summary: Official organ of the International Phenomenological Society. No replies to articles in other journals. Editors give priority to fields mentioned in editorial statement; other criteria include originality, lucidity, cogen cy, importance, topicality. Editors evaluate submissions and decide whether or not to send them on to a referee. Some manuscripts sent to two referees. Manuscripts often rejected for falling below competing submissions or accepted articles in the backl og. Major revisions requested occasionally.
No unsolicited book reviews accepted; will not assign book reviews to volunteers. Almost no invited reviews rejected, very few sent back for revision.
Reviewer's comments: Articles in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research are approximately 15 to 20 pages in length. The 1985 edition comprised 702 pages, in which were 36 articles, two discussions and 12 book reviews. There are occasion ally symposia on selected topics. The articles it publishes are highly technical and analytical rather than expository. They represent original work, although one finds here also many close analyses of the doctrines of classical philosophers that are re levant to contemporary issues. It publishes on a wide range of issues in the philosophy of mind, ethics, metaphysics and philosophical history of philosophy. Articles appear to be chosen on the basis of timeliness and merit rather than on adherence to a specific methodological approach. Despite the reference to phenomenology in the title, most of the 1985 articles exhibit a close familiarity with the vocabulary of, and representative figures in, contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. ( EK)
Frequency: 4/year. Circulation: 3,000. Focus: Moral legal and political philosophy. Editorial address: Princeton University Press, 41 William St., Princeton, NJ 08540. Processing time: 2-3 months. Author's name concealed from reviewers at author's request; reviewers' names usually concealed from author. Referees' comments sent when manuscript held for more than two months. Acceptance rate: 5%. Average wait till publication: 6-12 months. Accepted authors should wait: no. Special topic issues: none. No invited articles. Book reviews: yes.
Editorial statement: Issues of public concern often have an important philosophical dimension. Philosophy and Public Affairs is founded in the belief that a philosophical examination of these issues can contribute to their clarification an d to their resolution. It welcomes philosophical discussions of substantive legal, social and political problems, as well as discussions of the more abstract questions to which they give rise. In addition, it intends to publish studies of the moral and intellectual history of such problems. Philosophy and Public Affairs is designed to fill the need for a periodical in which philosophers with different viewpoints and philosophically inclined writers from various disciplines--including law, politi cal science, economics and sociology--can bring their distinctive methods to bear on problems that concern everyone.
Questionnaire summary: Journal prefers work on original and neglected issues to work on traditional and currently popular issues and history of philosophy; prefers analytic philosophy to non-analytic philosophy. No replies to articles in other jo urnals. Managing editor sends all manuscripts to editor for initial screening; he or the panel of editors reject 95 percent of all papers and send the rest out to one or two reviewers. Most manuscripts rejected for being non-competitive. Major revisio ns requests 20 to 30 percent of the time.
Journal would consider volunteers for assigned book reviews and might print unrequested reviews if the works reviewed were of major importance and the review of high quality. About 10 percent of invited reviews rejected, about 75 percent sent back for re vision.
Reviewer's comments: The four 1985 issues of Philosophy and Public Affairs contained 22 articles, most of which were approximately 20 pages. Topics addressed included the death penalty, drunk driving, exploitation, feminist epistemology, br ibery, the ethics of negotiation and bargaining, equal treatment, the foundations of justice and responses to critics of the kind of "analytic philosophy" typical of the journal. There are occasionally responses to a major article within the sa me issue and replies to articles in previous issues. In addition to philosophers, contributors in 1985 included lawyers, political scientists and an economist. (DC)