computer m i e ~47 .
JOHN
edited by W. MOORE
Eastern Michigan University. Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Bits and Pieces, 18 Most authors of Bits and Pieces will make available listings and/or machine-readable versions of their procams. Please read each description carefully to determcne compatibility with your own computing environment before requesting materials from any of the authors. Revised guidelines for authors of Bits and Pieces appear in this issue of the
JOURNAL. Several programs described in this article are available from Project SERAPHIM and are marked as such. If you do not already have a SERAPHIM catalog, request one from: Dr. John W. Moore, Director, Project SERAPHIM, Department of Chemistry, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.
Program Reviews This Bits and Pieces article inaugurate the publication of reviews of microcom~uterprograms that are not available from commercial vendors b;t ire being distributed by their authors or nun-profit proiects like SERAPHIM. The GAS. LAWS program, whose review initiates this project, was submitted to the Instructional Computer Program Contest sponsored by Project SERAPHIM and held a t the Seventh Biennial Conference on Chemical Education in August 1982. It is now being distributed by SERAPHIM as IBM PC Disk #I.
The guidelines and ground rules for reviews of noncommercial programs are identical to those for commercial materials. (The first reviews of commercial materials appeared in the "Reviews" section of the June 1983 issue.) Guidelines for reviewers have been published in the Computers in Chemical Education Newsletter and are available as a SERAPHIM Information Module. Anyone who is a chemistry teacher and has access to a microcomputer is welcome to volunteer as a reviewer-just write to Project SERAPHIM and request an Interest Form. When you complete and return the form we will add your name to our database of potential reviewers. No prior experience as a programmer or even a user of computers is required. Each program is reviewed by two persons, and we take pains to select reviewers from different types of schools with different types of students. This is intended to bring different perspectives to the task of reviewing, both on the part of the teacher and the students who use the program under review. Careful reading of the two reviews that follow will reveal each author's perspective and should allow you to determine more accurately whether the GASLAWS program would be of value to you and your students. Your comments and suggestions regarding reviews and the reviewing process are welcome a t any time.
Computer Series Policy Statement AS of January 1. 1984 an important change will be made in the Computer Series: manuscripts that describe an Innovative appiicatlon of a mtcrocornpuler for publication as Bits and Pieces must include s mechlnereadable version of any program described.
Two develooments have made this s t e ~ both necessarv and oassibie:
provernent of either or both. in particular, it is much easier for a reviewer to discover whether anauthor's work is truly innovative, as required by the policy statement published in December 1982. In addition, our reviewers Onen ask for and sametimesdemand programs to review: they are dissatisfied with iust verbal descriotions. 2, Tne Compurer S e r m ed lo! no* na5 m e a0 ty 10matcn s,ommea manuscr PIS an0 programs H in persons ~ h can o r e w * tne text ano r m the program As o rector of ProleCl StRAPhlM lhSFOISEl he ws ooumea from hundreds of high school and college chemistry teachers information about their subject-maner expertise. the course levels at which they are willing to review programs, and the microcomputer hardware they have available. This informationcan be accessed via a microcomputer database program. (To be added to this database write to John M w r e andrequest a Project SERAPHIM Interest Form.)
Details of Changes Because of the demonstratedneed to change and the ability to effect it. we have decided to a m n d hem 3 of the &k3eiines for Bits and Pieces that appeared in February 1982 to require that an author submit far review a machine-readable (preferably floppydisk) version of any microcomputer program that has been used in the work that a manuscript describes. (An exception is commercially available programs whose copyright notice tabids duplication.) Manuscripts that do not meet this requirement, but that should do SO in the Editor's judgment, will not be sent out for review until the machine-readable program is available. Existing Computer Series and Bits and Pieces Guidelines regarding innovativeness, format. length of manuscript, etc. will still obtain. This new procedure of reviewing a program along with its description will in no way affect Me recently instituted detailed, definitive user reviews of computer programs. These user reviews will continue to appear as Reviews (for commerciallyavailable programs) and in the Computer Series (for noncommercialiyavailable programs).
Electronic Publication These anions are viewed by Ik.3 Computer Series edita and Ik.3 J-N~L Edita as a first and necessarily experimentalstep toward eventual elecbonic publication-from submission of manuscriptsthrough review and revision to f i w i typesening. If you curremly use a wwdproceuor to pepare scientific manuscripts andior are interested in submining your work to the Computer Series via floppy disk or modem, piease contact John Moore. Department of Chemistry. Eastern Michigan University. Ypsilanti. Mi 48197.
Volume GO
Number I2
December 1983
1059
