Greetings!
In this hectic time just before the most public event of the AES, our 131st International Convention in New York, I take a moment to remind you of one dedicated group that toils in the background throughout the year to ensure that the ‘output’ of our membership is being developed and presented properly. The assets that they advance are the prestigious written technical documents that are the ‘lifeblood’ of our organization. Soren Bech, Chair of the Publications Policy Committee, will enlighten us about this diligent group that works on behalf of the AES.
Q: What is the purpose of the Publications Policy committee (PPC)?
Soren Bech
A: To investigate, study, and bring recommendations to the Board of Governors with respect to the best means of carrying out the purposes of the Audio Engineering Society, including preparation, publication and distribution of literature and periodicals relative to the general purposes and policies. The purpose of the AES is the advancement, improvement, and expansion of scientific knowledge in the field of audio engineering and allied arts. This includes collecting, collating and disseminating related scientific knowledge, and the advancement of it in theoretical and practical applications.
Q: What kind of publications does the AES have?
A: The main publication is the Journal (JAES), which is published on a yearly basis (10 issues). It includes scientific peer-reviewed papers, reports from Conventions, Conferences, and AES Sections, along with anything else that is of interest to the membership. It also features overview articles on current trends or new technologies written in a non-scientific language.
Other publications include:
·Convention papers (approx. 130 from each of the two yearly Conventions)
·Conference papers (approx.. 20 – 30 papers from each of 2 – 3 Conferences per year)
·Anthologies or Monographs (these include all relevant AES papers within a given area, such as Spatial Sound Technologies or Wave Field Synthesis).
·Technical Council documents to inform members and the public of the state of technology in areas represented by the Technical Committees. They comment on currently available technology and applications, as well as to identify and analyze new and future directions.
·AES Standards that include a range of international standards in various areas of audio technology.
·The newly launched Engineering Briefs from Conventions. The EB’s are short verbal talks or poster presentations on topics of interest to AES members. Topics can be wide-ranging, such as studio experience, equipment construction, new loudspeaker concepts, room acoustic measurements, analysis of audio equipment, and project studio startups, etc.
·Recorded tutorials given by highly acclaimed researchers such as Professor Jens Blauert at AES Conventions.
Q: Where can I get AES Publications?
A: All AES publications are available on the AES website – some are restricted to members and others are freely available for download. The AES standard documents, and Engineering Briefs, for example, can be freely downloaded by any member in this way.
Q: How does the PPC function?
A: The committee includes 15 – 20 members that meet periodically to discuss problems like – how should AES prepare for the Open Access of papers policy? Or how do we make sure that all the relevant papers from other than AES International Conferences reach a wider audience? Based on the discussions the committee chair prepares a memorandum or a proposal to the Board for further action.
Q: How does one qualify to become a member of the PPC?
A: The short answer is – publish a large number of papers. All members of the PPC are people who have and – still are – publishing a high number of papers. This means that they are experienced in the practicalities of writing and submitting papers. In addition the current and incoming Presidents participate in PPC meeting plus various members of staff from HQ that are responsible for the daily production of all our publications.
Q: What are the current “hot” issues?
A: One of the currently most pressing is the “Open Access policy” which is becoming mandatory for publications funded by public agencies throughout the world. This means that all publication originating from a publically funded research project must be freely accessible to the public. Another hot topic is to ensure that the readers of the Journal have access to or are aware of results and papers in new and rising fields both within audio engineering but also in related fields, such audio for gaming and audio in user interfaces.
Simply go to the AES website (http://www.aes.org/publications) to learn more about these valuable resources for your audio awareness.
And… I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!
