10 March 2006
In a publishing first, Monash University ePress has introduced sound bite technology to its online scholarly journal,
History Australia
.
The sound bites are included in an article by historian Julie Holbrook Tolley, published in the latest issue of History Australia (December 2005).
It is the first time multimedia technology has been used to integrate evidence into a mainstream academic history journal.
The article titled 'Gustav got the winery and Sophie got the soup tureen: The contribution of women to the Barossa Valley wine industry, 1836-2003', features sound bites of interviews conducted with two women workers in vineyards and wineries in the region.
History Australia editor Professor Marian Quartly from Monash's School of Historical Studies said the use of sound bites for history articles was a major innovation.
"This is the first time in the world that the voices of witnesses used as evidence in a journal article can be heard online," Professor Quartly said. "This type of information will make a huge difference to history and the writing of history, as well as its presentation."
Professor Quartly said articles using evidence drawn from film and video clips were being sought for future issues of the journal.
Monash University ePress Manager Ms Michele Sabto said the move reflected the ePress's aims of using innovative technology to capture, publish, retrieve, read and present scholarly material as well as to provide a more direct link between readers and writers of scholarly material.
"The ePress is serious about taking advantage of the online medium to offer readers a richer experience than is available in print," Ms Sabto said.
To help promote the concept, the ePress has provided free access to the History Australia article, which can be viewed at http://publications.epress.monash.edu/doi/full/10.2104/ha050086. The interviews can be accessed using free browser plug-ins such as Windows Media Player or Quick Time.
History Australia, the official journal of the Australian Historical Association, is published twice a year, in June and December, and is available online and in print. For details visit the
History Australia webpage.
Monash University ePress was established in 2003. It publishes books and journals online and in print.
For information contact Ms Sarah Cannon, Monash University ePress on +61 3 9905 0526, or Professor Marian Quartly on +61 3 9905 3257, or Ms Karen Stichtenoth, Media Communications on +61 3 9905 1253.
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