PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

New procedures have been introduced to standardize the review process for F.A.R.M.S.' publications. The Evaluation Committee, one of three standing units directing the Foundation's activities, has instituted a more formal system of judging each paper submitted for issuance under F.A.R.M.S. auspices. An evaluation editor, currently John Sorenson, and a dozen respected researchers constitute an evaluation board. Where necessary, they will be aided by the specialized knowledge of a panel of more than 100 others.

Papers meeting the normal criteria for professional publication will appear in a new series, F.A.R.M.S. Papers; each of these provides a substantial, peer-reviewed contribution to knowledge and will be permanently available for purchase at cost from the Foundation. Less finished papers deemed worth circulating will appear as F.A.R.M.S. Preliminary Reports/Working Papers; these will be offered to F.A.R.M.S. members for a two-year period and then will be dropped from the list. The assumption is that within that period Preliminary Reports will have been finalized to qualify as F.A.R.M.S. Papers or to appear in other outlets. A third group, F.A.R.M.S. Study Aids, will offer valuable helps for students in F.A.R.M.S.' area of concern, such as indexes, bibliographies, maps, or printouts which are not scholarly papers, yet deserve to be available on a long-term basis. F.A.R.M.S. Reprints will continue to provide valuable articles that have been issued elsewhere.

The evaluation editor and board welcome all submissions of well-prepared papers for their consideration that pertain to F.A.R.M.S.' interests.