www.sefindia.org

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING FORUM OF INDIA [SEFI]

 Forum SubscriptionsSubscriptions DigestDigest Preferences   FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups  RegisterRegister FAQSecurity Tips FAQDonate
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log in to websiteLog in to websiteLog in to websiteLog in to forum 
Warning: Make sure you scan the downloaded attachment with updated antivirus tools  before opening them. They may contain viruses.
Use online scanners
here and here to upload downloaded attachment to check for safety.

An open letter to ICJ
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topicReply to topic Thank Post    www.sefindia.org Forum Index -> SEFI General Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
alpa_sheth
...
...


Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 280

PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:01 am    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ  as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth

Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
surendra_manjrekar
SEFI Member
SEFI Member


Joined: 23 May 2013
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:30 pm    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

I almost entirely agree with the author of this letter.Have been associated with the journal since 1981 in many capacities.Was proud to be associated. Select papers from ICJ are still on display at every ACI convention and I fondly take a picture of the same.
Positive energies from all over are required to be solicited by the management and with the heavy international experience at everybody's disposal, ici can still be marching towards slow but certain Sustainable glory.
Just my individual thoughts and assurance of action if sought.
Dr S K Manjrekar
Honorary Member -ACI

Sent from RediffmailNG on Android




From: alpa_sheth <forum@sefindia.org>
Sent: Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:43:59 GMT+0530
To: general@sefindia.org
Subject: [SEFI] An open letter to ICJ

           To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth

Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Anand_Kher
SEFI Member
SEFI Member


Joined: 26 Oct 2010
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 4:30 pm    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

Dear Alpaji,I wholeheartedly support your take on ICJ..The feeling is mutual to many of us.ICJ has been a legacy and sorry to see the signs of downfall..
Regards,
ANAND KHER


On Mon, Aug 19, 2019, 2:48 AM alpa_sheth <forum@sefindia.org (forum@sefindia.org)> wrote:

Quote:
           To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth
     



     



Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bsec
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor


Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 204

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:30 am    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

Open criticism about the on-line e-subscription facilities of ICJ and also functioning of ICJ, by Ms Alpa Sheth and Dr Manjrekar, the two pillars of the industry undoubtedly shows the positive impact this journal had on Civil Engineers till date. I particularly liked the comments of Alpa ...that "ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire community of civil engineers and concrete technologists".  
Publisher should feel happy and proud to note that this journal has made impact to the readers and therefore they had been on the right track in the past.  I am sure the publishers will respect the sentiments expressed by the industry and re-visit their subscription plans and tariffs. Perhaps the subscription rate of Rs. 1200/- per year is rather high in case the facility is only to view the journal and not to download it.  At Rs. 1200/-, there should be an option to download the paper as PDF.


Best Wishes



Alok Bhowmick, IntPE (India)
Managing Director
 

 B&S Engineering Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
315-316, Vishal Chambers, Sector 18, Noida; U.P - 201301
Tel: +91-120-4570703; 4310433; Mobile : +91-9811175255
Website : www.bsecpl.in
 CEAI National Award winner for “Excellence in Engineering Consultancy Services” for 2017 & 2018












On Mon, Aug 19, 2019 at 8:43 PM surendra_manjrekar <forum@sefindia.org (forum@sefindia.org)> wrote:

Quote:
           I almost entirely agree with the author of this letter.Have been associated with the journal since 1981 in many capacities.Was proud to be associated. Select papers from ICJ are still on display at every ACI convention and I fondly take a picture of the same.
Positive energies from all over are required to be solicited by the management and with the heavy international experience at everybody's disposal, ici can still be marching towards slow but certain Sustainable glory.
Just my individual thoughts and assurance of action if sought.
Dr S K Manjrekar
Honorary Member -ACI

Sent from RediffmailNG on Android




From: alpa_sheth
Sent: Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:43:59 GMT+0530
To: general@sefindia.org (general@sefindia.org)
Subject: [SEFI] An open letter to ICJ

           To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth
     



     



Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
va
E-Conference Moderator


Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:30 am    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

Dear All,
I fully agree with the views expressed by Alpa. Knowledge can not be confined. We need better knowledge sharing platforms. Unlike bank balance, our knowledge balance will never reduce when we share knowledge. SEFI is the best example.

Regards.
Hemant Vadalkar
Vadalkar and Associates
Consulting Engineer Mumbai.
www.vadalkar.com

From: alpa_sheth <forum@sefindia.org>
Sent: 19 August 2019 12:35
To: general@sefindia.org
Subject: [SEFI] An open letter to ICJ



To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth






---
--




---
--

Posted via Email



~WRD000.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  823 Bytes
 Viewed:  604 Time(s)

~WRD000.jpg


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mnramesh
SEFI Member
SEFI Member


Joined: 31 May 2013
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:30 am    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

It is unfortunate that ICJ has reached this state. ICJ was a part of our work and has served as professional platform to share our works and ideas with the fraternity for so many years. We now feel the vacuume it has created due to latest 'developments' in ICJ. We have not only contributed many papers but also got lots of excellent papers and artilcles from ICJ and it was a very friendly technical resource to many of us.
Will the mangement of the present ICJ do whatever required to bring back the past grandure of ICJ ?

M N Ramesh
Past Vice President (South)
Indian Concrete Institute
[quote] Original Message  Subject: [SEFI] Re: An open letter to ICJFrom: 'surendra_manjrekar' <forum@sefindia.org>Date: 8/19/19 8:43 pmTo: general@sefindia.org I almost entirely agree with the author of this letter.Have been associated with the journal since 1981 in many capacities.Was proud to be associated. Select papers from ICJ are still on display at every ACI convention and I fondly take a picture of the same.  Positive energies from all over are required to be solicited by the management and with the heavy international experience at everybody's disposal, ici can still be marching towards slow but certain Sustainable glory. Just my individual thoughts and assurance of action if sought. Dr S K Manjrekar  Honorary Member -ACI  Sent from RediffmailNG on Android     From: alpa_sheth <forum@sefindia.org> Sent: Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:43:59 GMT+0530 To: general@sefindia.org (general@sefindia.org) Subject: [SEFI] An open letter to ICJ  To  Indian Concrete Journal  August 19, 2019  An Open Letter to ICJ  Dear Sir/Madam:  I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in the subject.  Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers, subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors. Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant. In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one left to talk to.  In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the community.  I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid e-subscriber.  I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity. Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge. Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently have!  Best regards,  Alpa Sheth     --

Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gatbel
SEFI Member
SEFI Member


Joined: 26 Dec 2017
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 8:30 am    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

Sorry, i left it already, thank you for your information.

On Mon, Aug 19, 2019, 6:16 PM surendra_manjrekar <forum@sefindia.org (forum@sefindia.org)> wrote:

Quote:
           I almost entirely agree with the author of this letter.Have been associated with the journal since 1981 in many capacities.Was proud to be associated. Select papers from ICJ are still on display at every ACI convention and I fondly take a picture of the same.
Positive energies from all over are required to be solicited by the management and with the heavy international experience at everybody's disposal, ici can still be marching towards slow but certain Sustainable glory.
Just my individual thoughts and assurance of action if sought.
Dr S K Manjrekar
Honorary Member -ACI

Sent from RediffmailNG on Android




From: alpa_sheth
Sent: Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:43:59 GMT+0530
To: general@sefindia.org (general@sefindia.org)
Subject: [SEFI] An open letter to ICJ

           To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth
     



     



Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
priyanka_pande
SEFI Member
SEFI Member


Joined: 31 May 2019
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 6:36 pm    Post subject: Re: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

Dear Ms. Alpa Sheth

My team and I, acknowledge your email and your inputs to improve the Indian Concrete Journal.  
Over last few months we have received tremendous support from our readers, subscribers, authors and our reviewers. We extend our gratitude to each one of you for your solidarity and steadfast support.  

We take all inputs shared by you seriously and in positive spirit. We are pleased to share that at the Indian Concrete Journal we are making every effort to enhance process, technology and content with an aim to move forward and adapt to the evolving needs of our readers.  

In this year itself we have revamped the website to make it easier for subscribers to pay online and get access to not just the currently year's subscription but also access the archives. We have revamped the design of our print copies to make for better reading experience.

We have worked tirelessly on reducing the time for manuscripts to be to reviewed and published. From allowing online submission of manuscripts to introduction of monthly newsletter with excerpts of all papers, the ICJ has made its content more accessible to a wider audience.


Since early this year, we have introduced guest editors. Contrary to the suggestion this is a move to instill greater rigor than before in improving the quality of content.

Our guest editors are academicians and practitioners from the best institutes in the country. Further, we are proud to be associated with names such as Dr. Vasant Matsagar, IIT-Delhi, Dr. Pasala Dinkar, IIT-Bhubaneshwar, and Dr. Manu Santhanam, IIT- Madras to name just a few of these guest editors. We assure you of both their interest and expertise in the subject matter.

A wide list of the reviewers can be found at our website where we gratefully acknowledge the hard-work of eminent subject matter experts.

We are happy to receive your recommendations and suggestions that will enable the Indian Concrete Journal to thrive as well as craft a new exciting future.
You can write to us directly at :  editor@icjonline.com, alternatively please do share your contact number privately and we will connect with you promptly to address you grievances and take suitable actions towards your feedback.

Regards
Editor ICJ

alpa_sheth wrote:
To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ  as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth

Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
rahul.leslie
General Sponsor
General Sponsor


Joined: 01 Apr 2008
Posts: 501
Location: Trivandrum

PostPosted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 4:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear fellow SEFI'ans,

Some body please forward these to:
The Indian Concrete Journal (icj@acclimited.com)

regards
Rahul Leslie
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
priyanka_pande
SEFI Member
SEFI Member


Joined: 31 May 2019
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 5:30 am    Post subject: An open letter to ICJ Reply with quote

Dear Ms. Alpa Sheth 

My team and I, acknowledge your email and your inputs to improve the Indian Concrete Journal.  
Over last few months we have received tremendous support from our readers, subscribers, authors and our reviewers. We extend our gratitude to each one of you for your solidarity and steadfast support.   



We take all inputs shared by you seriously and in positive spirit. We are pleased to share that at the Indian Concrete Journal we are making every effort to enhance process, technology and content with an aim to move forward and adapt to the evolving needs of our readers.  


In this year itself we have revamped the website to make it easier for subscribers to pay online and get access to not just the currently year's subscription but also access the archives. We have revamped the design of our print copies to make for better reading experience.


We have worked tirelessly on reducing the time for manuscripts to be to reviewed and published. From allowing online submission of manuscripts to introduction of monthly newsletter with excerpts of all papers, the ICJ has made its content more accessible to a wider audience.


Since early this year, we have introduced guest editors. Contrary to the suggestion this is a move to instill greater rigor than before in improving the quality of content.


Our guest editors are academicians and practitioners from the best institutes in the country. Further, we are proud to be associated with names such as Dr. Vasant Matsagar, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Dr. Pasala Dinkar,  Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneshwar, and Dr. Manu Santhanam,   Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to name just a few of these guest editors. We assure you of both, their interest and expertise in the subject matter.


A wide list of the reviewers can be found at our website where we gratefully acknowledge the hard-work of eminent subject matter experts.


We are happy to receive your recommendations and suggestions that will enable the Indian Concrete Journal to thrive as well as craft a new exciting future.
You can write to us directly at :  editor@icjonline.com (info@icjonline.com), alternatively please do share your contact number privately and we will connect with you promptly to address your grievances and take suitable actions towards your feedback.


Best Regards,
Editor ICJ 









On Mon, 19 Aug 2019 at 18:30, alpa_sheth <forum@sefindia.org (forum@sefindia.org)> wrote:

Quote:
           To

Indian Concrete Journal

August 19, 2019

An Open Letter to ICJ

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would have liked to address this letter to the editor but
unfortunately, there is no name or title listed as editor in the ICJ
journal. The journals are being edited by obliging guest editors on ad
hoc basis, who sometimes have no demonstrated expertise or interest in
the subject.

Many of us have a long association with ICJ as readers,
subscribers, authors, reviewers. It was the go-to place to read an
interesting paper, article or note and also a place where we would
write something of topical interest or submit a scholarly piece. I
remember having interesting discussions and debates with past editors.
Sometimes we would comment that there too much emphasis on concrete as
a material and too little on analysis and design; sometimes we would
complain of the reverse. But it was always very engaging and vibrant.
In the past decade or so, the discussions waned until there was no one
left to talk to.

In the recent past, when the journal was under threat of being closed
down, many of us had discussions on how to keep it going. ICJ is not
just a journal, it is an institution. It belongs to the entire
community of civil engineers and concrete technologists. I think the
role of the publisher is that of a facilitator. I do not believe that
ICJ has ever been run as a 'business' (it would likely not have been
viable) but more as a contribution of an organisation to the
community.

I am therefore deeply disappointed when I see that ICJ does not allow
you to even download the journal when you have an e-subscription. All
you can do is read it online. I find this so bizarre were it not so
shocking since even Netflix which is an all-commercial movie site
allows you to download movies and watch them offline. And most
newspapers, magazines and other for-profit publications allow you to
download articles (or at least copy and paste them) if you are a paid
e-subscriber.

I'm sorry, ICJ, but I have no option other than to ask you to cancel
my subscription. I do not wish to patronise such sharp practices. At
SEFI we believe in information and knowledge dissemination. It appears
that the objectives of ICJ have changed over time. That is a pity.
Kindly reconsider them. You will earn tremendous goodwill if you
change or rather revert to an earlier way of being- A solid editor, a
strong editorial and review team and an attitude of sharing knowledge.
Trust me, you will attract far more subscribers than you presently
have!

Best regards,

Alpa Sheth
     



     



Posted via Email
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topicReply to topic Thank Post    www.sefindia.org Forum Index -> SEFI General Discussion All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


© 2003, 2008 SEFINDIA, Indian Domain Registration
Publishing or acceptance of an advertisement is neither a guarantee nor endorsement of the advertiser's product or service. advertisement policy