[Roleplaying] Peer Review of Articles

[Markus Montola]

> I think we are in a cultural shift towards interactive experiences and 
> the older generation can't relate to that. That's why they insist on 
> peer review articles because that's how they can delay the development 
> of a new cultural elite based in interactive aesthetics and culture.

I think we are in a paradigm shift in terms of academic publishing. 
Paper publications are going obsolete; who reads paper journals anymore? 
Paper books will follow. Instead, we see loads of random internets 
publications ranging from conference proceedings to reports and online 
journals. Still, the system is trying to maintain that Book Chapters Are 
Better Than Conferences, Since Hey, They Are Printed In Real Books After 
All.

And as journals are losing their importance, we are moving towards 
faster and faster cycle of publishing, and many fields are already 
taking steps towards, Publishing 2.0 where the publications are not end 
results, but stuff is published on commentable and even editable forums 
before being finalized.

Sometimes I wonder why don't we all go full speed on Wikipedia approach, 
starting from the people in natural sciences. Except that in collective 
process it's hard to show personal merits -- to  academic 
decision-makers who are basing their measures on pointless metrics that 
are more about gaming the system than publishing kick-ass papers that 
advance the state of art.

Game studies has made me an academic anarchist: To me, only guerilla 
scholarship makes any sense. The formal system is always perfect for 
doing the research that has already been done, but starts to suck the 
moment you start researching something new.

Some people cling to disciplinary divides, while the young generation 
shops for whatever tools that address the task at hand. The word 
"Oxford" is no stamp of quality in my books.


  - Markus

PS. Here's a dilemma where old system meets new field: Who would be 
qualified to be an opponent in my defense? Requirements: Doctor, 
preferrably been for a few years. Not a close colleague. Knowledgeable 
on role-playing and pervasive gaming. Multidisciplinary. Preferrably 
European.

If you have a good idea, send me a suggestion IN PRIVATE.