Re: The American Journal of Physics is going online

[Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>]

John,
We Phys-L'ers are not only teachers, we are first of all life-long learners;
and though it may be inefficient, re-inventing the wheel is perhaps the most
insightful way of learning.  The Phys-L type of discussion is precisely the
modus vivendi which we should be inspiring among our students.

Further, "exhaustingly and with authority" hardly describes the desired
attitude toward our teaching, either oral or written.  No physics question
is ever "exhausted", and "authority" can only stifle creative inquiry.

I do agree that the AJP is arguably the most useful journal in existence.
I welcome its on-line availability.

Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (ret)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor

-----Original Message-----
From: John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPOMONA.EDU>
To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Date: Sunday, January 31, 1999 12:12 AM
Subject: The American Journal of Physics is going online


> Dear Phys-L'ers,
>
> The editor of what may well be the only physics journal that is
> actually *read* contacts me from time to time with "gentle"
> reminders that some of the threads that rage on Phys-L have been
> dealt with exhaustively and with authority in the pages of the
> American Journal of Physics (AJP).
>
> Despite our occasional predilection toward reinventing wheels, I
> would guess that many if not most of us are already subscribers to
> or at least regular perusers of AJP.  For those who may not have
> had the pleasure, however ...
>
> AJP (http://www.amherst.edu/~ajp) goes online later this month.  A
> blurb at http://www.aapt.org/pubs_catalog/ajp.html reads in part:
>
>  The American Journal of Physics will soon be available on the
>  World Wide Web!
>
>  Starting in late February, you can visit AJP online at no charge.
>  View PDF or Postscript files of your favorite articles, book
>  reviews, or Q&A's. You can even store your favorite articles in a
>  special folder so you don't have to hunt for them.
>
>  Visit soon--free access only will be available for a few months.
>  Later this year, several enhancements to the site are planned.
>  These include full-text HTML and reference links to related
>  articles. Once these enhancements are in place, access will be
>  limited to those who subscribe to AJP online.
>
>  AJP is an archival journal targeted toward advanced-level physics
>  and physics education. With its focus on the teaching and cultural
>  aspects of physics, Editor Robert H. Romer of Amherst College
>  assures that the articles placed in the AJP are timely and relevant
>  to the field of physics. AJP is published monthly by the American
>  Association of Physics Teachers.
>
> The online version of AJP will be found at the Online Journal
> Publishing Service site
>
>  http://ojps.aip.org
>
> While I'm at it I'd remind the list that Dan MacIsaac, the new
> list owner for Phys-L, also supports a *very* useful search
> facility for finding relevant articles from AJP (as well as The
> Physics Teacher) over nearly the last 30 years.  It is available
> at
>
>  http://www.phy.nau.edu/~danmac/AAPTDB/index.html
>
> Good physics, well written; John says "Check it out."
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> A. John Mallinckrodt      http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm
> Professor of Physics    mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
> Physics Department       voice:909-869-4054
> Cal Poly Pomona            fax:909-869-5090
> Pomona, CA 91768-4031   office:Building 8, Room 223