One Year of Metaphysical Review
                 _______________________________

                  Timothy Paul Smith  -  Editor

                         (June 29, 1995)
 
        With this issue `Metaphysical Review' enters upon its second 
year.  I am taking this opportunity to report on the first year.  This 
journal started very small,  its first issue on July 1, 1994 was 
e-mailed to only fifteen subscribers.  It slowly grew until November 
when it went "on the web".  We now have 146 subscribers.
 
 
July 1994|XXXXXX                                                       15
Aug.     |XXXXXX                                                       15
Sept.    |XXXXXXX                                                      17
Oct.     |XXXXXXXX                                                     20
Nov.     |XXXXXXXXXX                                                   24
Dec.     |XXXXXXXXXXX                                                  28
Jan. 1995|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                                            47
Feb.     |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                                         51
March    |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                                     59
April    |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                            82
May      |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                     99
June     |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX              118
July     |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  148
         +-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
                            50                  100                 150
                                        subscribers (X = 2.5)
 
        Not only has exposer on the web increased circulation,  but it 
has given essay in the archive a second life.  For example the July 1994 
issue which was originally sent to 15 subscribers, has now been downloaded 
to 889 sites. I assume most `web-surfers' clicked and then discarded,  
but quite a few sites have download articles at intervals which indicate 
they might have read the issues.
 
        With increased readership there has been a greater variety of 
material submitted to this journal.  I think the bounds of acceptable 
material has not been completely defined,  but perhaps it is converging.
 
        One of the task I have had as an editor is to reject 
pseudo-science.  We do not have a monopoly on the word `Metaphysics'.  I 
have received several articles on `new-age / pseudo-science',  and even 
request for the subscription list from vendors of `crystals'.  Perhaps 
one side-effect of this is that it has made me more attentive in 
describing the journal as "essays related to the rational, logical and 
scientific underlying causes".
 

Survey
______
 
        The response to the survey was not overwhelming,  but certain 
things were clear.
 
        People want to know who the audience, before they attempt to 
write.  Based on the subscribers list, the vast majority are at academic 
institutions,  or have an advance degree. The most common fields are 
physics,  philosophy and computers.  They are a few in mathematics and 
engineering.  However other fields have been  mentioned include Biology, 
Geography, Energy & Environmental, Astrophysics, history of science, and 
the stock exchange.
 
        About the format,  there were several request for the inclusion 
of more figures and equations.  However since that would mean the 
journal was unaccessible to readers on text-terminals,  this would cause 
a problem.  Presently 86% of the readers read the plain-text version.  
They also seem very reluctant to read in a different format, many have 
even told me they could not read it in a different format.  So this 
journal will remain in as is in that respect.
 
        About topics,  readers seem to enjoy and want more `history of 
science' articles.
 
        More details of the survey will soon be posted on WWW.


Who reads Metaphysical Review?
______________________________
 
        As of June 29, 148 people subscribe to Metaphysical Review. By 
looking at the subscription list I see that two-thirds of the readers 
are in the U.S.,  in all segments of the Internet; commercial (.com), 
educational (.edu), government (.gov), military (.mil),  network (.net) 
and organizations (.org).  It is read in twenty-one countries; Australia 
(.au), Brazil (.br), Canada (.ca), Colombia (.co), Germany (.de), 
Denmark (.dk), Finland (.fi), France (.fr), Italy (.it), Japan (.jp), 
Korea (.kr), Mexico (.mx), Netherlands (.nl), Norway (.no), Poland 
(.pl), Russia (.ru), Sweden (.se), Singapore (.sg), United Kingdom 
(.uk), United States (.us), Venezuela (.ve).  The majority of the 
subscribers are in educational (.edu.) or academic (.ac.) institutions,  
66 such institutions are represented world-wide.  Perhaps the fastest 
growing segment of our readers are from dial-up and on-line services.
 
        On world-wide-web we have been downloaded to 42 countries,  and 
issues from the archive have been downloaded 4200 times.
 
Future
______
 
        In the last month I have received an increasing number of 
essays and inquires into how to submit essays.  I will soon be writing 
an author's guide,  which should help potential authors understand who 
the audience is,  and the purpose of the journal.  I will also be trying 
to expand and institutionalize the referee system.
 
        With this issue we also carry an ISSN (International Standard 
Series Number), which was assigned by the Library of Congress.  This 
become the unique identifier of this journal.
 
                                ISSN 1083-1908
 
        Also the cumulation issue (Vol 1, July 1994 - June 1995) is 
available by request from me, or via. WWW.
 
        I hope that this journal continues to grow and provide 
interesting and stimulating reading.