Duke Mathematical Journal records, 1924-1988

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Summary

Creator:
Duke University. Duke Mathematical Journal and Duke University. University Archives
Abstract:
This collection is largely comprised of correspondence of the individuals and organizations who communicated with the editors of the Duke Mathematical Journal. All correspondence related to accepted papers was kept, as well as a significant amount of correspondence related to rejected papers before 1970. Referee reports are also included, as well as billing and correspondence between the Journal and various publishing houses. Topics covered include edits to papers, requests for offprint copies, correspondence between editors, correspondence with the American Mathematical Society, and the Journal's budget and funding. The collection ends with a series of record books recording each paper received and reviewed by the Journal.
Extent:
27 Linear Feet (About 19,000 items.)
Language:
English
Collection ID:
UA.24.27.0031
University Archives Record Group:
24 -- Graduate School
24 -- Graduate School > 27 -- Unknown Subgroup

Background

Scope and content:

This collection is largely comprised of correspondence of the individuals and organizations who communicated with the editors of the Duke Mathematical Journal. All correspondence related to accepted papers was kept, as well as a significant amount of correspondence related to rejected papers before 1970. Referee reports are also included, as well as billing and correspondence between the Journal and various publishing houses. Topics covered include edits to papers, requests for offprint copies, correspondence between editors, correspondence with the American Mathematical Society, and the Journal's budget and funding. The collection ends with a series of record books recording each paper received and reviewed by the Journal.

The collection is organized into thirteen distinct series.

The first series is collated alphabetical files based upon the first letter of the subject, or the individual's last name. Each folder covers a year or a range of years, and each letter of the alphabet has five such folders, running from latest to earliest. Individual subject files for particularly prominent individuals and organizations are interspersed within the general alphabetical folders, and maintain roughly alphabetical order.

Series 2-7 are alphabetical files similar to the first series, with the difference that each letter of the alphabet recieved one folder covering a longer range of years, rather than several smaller folders for each letters. Subject files are interspersed alphabetically within series 2-3 as in series 1.

Series 8 is assorted subject files related to the period covered by series 4-7, where the subject files ceased to be interspersed throughout the series.

Series 9 represents a shift in the organizational structure, moving to a numeric system. As papers were submitted to the Journal, each was assigned a number and filed in chronological order, with any future correspondence related to that paper attached or stapled to the original piece of correspondence.

Series 10 retains the numerical structure of series 9, but adds two initial digits to each number signifying the year in which a paper was received.

Series 11 is also a numeric system, but the digits comprising the numbers changed in their significance. The first digit represents the last digit of the year (i.e. 1981 is 1, 1982 is 2, etc.). The next two digits signify the month the paper was received (01 represents January, 12 represents December). The following two digits represent the day of reception, while the last digit represents the order in which multiple papers were reviewed on that day. Thus, a paper with the number 104060 indicates that the paper was received on April 6th, 1981, and was the first paper to be processed that day.

Series 12 is comprised of miscellaneous correspondence unrelated to specific papers divided by year.

Series 13 is a series of record books documenting reception and processing of papers, and are in order by year.

Biographical / historical:

The Duke Mathematical Journal was founded in 1934 and published its first issue in 1935. Its founding was brought about in large part by the American Mathematical Society's encouraging Duke University to establish a mathematical journal. In 1927, and again in 1931, the Society urged the University to create a journal, stating that the need for a new mathematical periodical existed. Furthermore, it argued that in order to attract papers from leading mathematicians, such a periodical would need assured financial support to guarantee its permanent existence, and that Duke University was in a strategic position to embark on such a project.

Since its founding, the Duke Mathematical Journal has been one of the leading mathematical journals. Without specializing in a small number of subject areas, it emphasizes the most active and influential areas of current mathematics. Of the more than 600 mathematics journals published worldwide, only 277 reach the level of impact required to be included in the rankings of the Institute for Scientific Information. The Duke Mathematical Journal is consistently among the top ranking journals, with an impact factor of 1.701 and a cited half-life of >10, the highest score given in this category.

Acquisition information:
The Duke Mathematics Journal records were received by the Duke University Archives as a transfer from 1982 to 1990.
Processing information:

Processed by: Matthew Schaefer, July 2013

Accessions described in this finding aid: UA82-86, UA89-17, UA90-85

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into thirteen distinct series.

The first series is collated alphabetical files based upon the first letter of the subject, or the individual's last name. Each folder covers a year or a range of years, and each letter of the alphabet has five such folders, running from latest to earliest. Individual subject files for particularly prominent individuals and organizations are interspersed within the general alphabetical folders, and maintain roughly alphabetical order.

Series 2-7 are alphabetical files similar to the first series, with the difference that each letter of the alphabet recieved one folder covering a longer range of years, rather than several smaller folders for each letters. Subject files are interspersed alphabetically within series 2-3 as in series 1.

Series 8 is assorted subject files related to the period covered by series 4-7, where the subject files ceased to be interspersed throughout the series.

Series 9 represents a shift in the organizational structure, moving to a numeric system. As papers were submitted to the Journal, each was assigned a number and filed in chronological order, with any future correspondence related to that paper attached or stapled to the original piece of correspondence.

Series 10 retains the numerical structure of series 9, but adds two initial digits to each number signifying the year in which a paper was received.

Series 11 is also a numeric system, but the digits comprising the numbers changed in their significance. The first digit represents the last digit of the year (i.e. 1981 is 1, 1982 is 2, etc.). The next two digits signify the month the paper was received (01 represents January, 12 represents December). The following two digits represent the day of reception, while the last digit represents the order in which multiple papers were reviewed on that day. Thus, a paper with the number 104060 indicates that the paper was received on April 6th, 1981, and was the first paper to be processed that day.

Series 12 is comprised of miscellaneous correspondence unrelated to specific papers divided by year.

Series 13 is a series of record books documenting reception and processing of papers, and are in order by year.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Subjects:
Mathematics -- Periodicals.
Names:
Duke University. Duke Mathematical Journal
American Mathematical Society
Duke University. University Archives
Duke University Press

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48-hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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