Conferences are avenue for getting published
DOI: 10.1063/1.3141925
The difficulty in getting papers accepted by journal editors is noted in Howard Greyber’s letter (Physics Today, July 2008, page 8 ). But that is the reason we have conferences and symposia. A conference paper can present opinions based on observations and analysis; it can challenge conventional wisdom and suggest new ideas and directions.
My last paper before I retired was presented at an international conference. I reported my analysis of observations with a suggestion as to the cause of the results. The meeting room was packed, and I received several compliments. That paper would never have been accepted by a journal editor. I would have been told that my results were speculative and that I needed to do more research—that phrase, which disregards the reality of funding, seems to be a favorite phrase of editors. The paper was published in the conference proceedings.
More about the authors
Fred E. Camfield, (fecamfield@bellsouth.net) Vicksburg, Mississippi, US .
