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ParaDocs: Finnish Journal on the ParanormalISSN 1459-0247
Please note that most of this Web site is in the Finnish language. General informationParaDocs is a free, electronic and multidisciplinary research journal that contains scholarly full texts concerning the paranormal, seminormal, supernatural, anomalous, unknown, unexplained and spiritual. It also includes independent works, such as conference proceedings and theses, which have usually been issued in our Studia Paranormalia series. The writings are in the Finnish and English languages. When publishing research, ParaDocs strives to - as a rule - follow the procedure of refereeing or peer-reviewing in order to ensure the highest possible quality. At least for the time being, ParaDocs functions as a resource which is updated irregularly, in proportion as we receive new material. It is readable by anyone with an Internet connection, but the authors normally hold an academic degree. ParaDocs is the sole scientific publication in Finland devoted to the study of the paranormal. It was founded in 1999, and is published by a registered association called Finnish Network for Scientific Research on the Paranormal - ParaNet Finland. Requirements for research manuscriptsPrinciplesAll texts submitted to ParaDocs for publication have to concern the paranormal or seminormal - that is, things which lie beyond, or at least on the outer limits of, the present scientific conception of the world - from the perspective of scholarly research. The editor of the ParaDocs can be offered any kinds of research - articles, conference/seminar papers, working papers, reports and even books - whether empirical, methodological or theoretical. The content, structure, language and layout of a manuscript should be of as high quality as possible from the start. New studies conventionally go through the peer-reviewing process. This means that the editor sends a copy of the manuscript to at least two experts who weigh the quality of the writing, and suggest ways in which the paper ought to be revised. If and when the text has finally been accepted, and the required improvements have been made, it is published on our Web pages as a refereed paper. Please note that our peer-reviewing works incognito, i.e. neither the author's nor the referees' identity is disclosed to the other party, unless a person expressly wishes to "reveal him/herself". GuidelinesThe most important thing about research texts is their scientific character: they must be based on scholarly work, and their both content and form have to follow scientific norms. Below is a checklist of the most important things worth paying attention to. The referees of ParaDocs use the same criteria when evaluating manuscripts:
We also suggest that a manuscript be written in such a way that the author cannot be easily recognized on the basis of the text proper. To ensure internal consistency in the manuscript, one had better lean on some standard like APA style. The line space ought to be 1,5 or 2. The pages (excluding a possible title page and table of contents) of a manuscript have to be numbered throughout. Mere letters or numbers are not adequate as headings. Each abbreviation has to be spelled out in full when used for the first time. When referring to literature, page number(s) must always be mentioned, too, if viable. With electronic documents without numbered pages, one can enter the chapter number/letter (e.g. .ch. 2.1.), or - in a case of a multifile text - the exact URL address (e.g. "http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind00/access/c8/c8s5.htm") of the page. The use of foot- or endnotes is better to be minimized. The author's name and contact information must be declared at the beginning of the manuscript. There should be a short (100-200 words) abstract preceding the body text. All sources of the work are enumerated in alphabetical order in the reference section at the end, regardless of whether they have been published or not, and all of them must be referred to in the text. In the list of references, names belonging to publication details may not be abbreviated (e.g. NOT "Luoma, M." or "Phys. Rev. Lett.") or omitted (e.g. NOT "Sparks, Glenn et al."). A URL must be followed by a date at which the source was readable at the address. If the manuscript is a part in a series of articles, it should include a reference to the preceding writings in the sequence. SendingThe full manuscript (and abstract) should be submitted in an electronic form. A writing consisting of unformatted text only can be sent as an e-mail message or ASCII/text file on a 3.5" disk. If you use formatting and/or graphics in your text, the most recommendable file types are HTML, RTF or some other common format (e.g. AppleWorks/ClarisWorks or Microsoft Word/Works), either on the Macintosh or PC platform. The graphic elements should also be provided as separate GIF and/or JPEG files. For the present, it is advisable to avoid mere PDF format. The manuscript can be sent as an e-mail attachment (preferred) or on a 3.5" disk. A paper copy or PDF file of the text is also desirable. Editorial boardAt the moment, the editorial board of ParaDocs is composed of one editor, a vice-editor and some twenty referees. Most of these persons have a doctoral degree. The editor is responsible for the layout and (partially) content of the publication, because in the final analysis, it is s/he who decides what is published. All contacts to the editorial "office" are normally made through the editor. The vice-editor is only needed when the primary editor is unable to perform his/her duties. The role of the referees is to raise the standard of research texts to be published, and if necessary, recommend rejecting inferior writings. A reviewer must be either at least a licentiate, OR a master who has published at least one scientific text in the subject area of ParaDocs within the last five years. Referees' names, along with their qualifications, are usually listed below, although any expert naturally has the right to keep his/her identity secret from the public. In accordance with the academic practice, no money is paid to the reviewers or authors. Editorparadocs at paranet.fi Vice-editorMarko Kananen, MA RefereesAnna Hielm-Björkman (PhL, clinical research) Juha Hiltunen (PhD, cultural anthropology & cultural history) Lasse Jalonen (PhD, physics) Jarkko Kari (PhD, information studies) Kimmo Ketola (PhD, comparative religion) Sergei Kolmakow (MD, dentistry) Tapani Köppä (Dr. Pol. Sc., sociology) Kari Lagerspetz (PhD, physiological zoology) Maarit Laurento (PhD, pedagogics) Timo Lehto (PhD, medical biochemistry) Erkki Lähde (PhD, forestry) Tuomas Martikainen (MA, comparative religion) Leo Näreaho (PhD, philosophy of religion) Pekka Pihlanto (DEc, business economics) Matti Pitkänen (PhD, theoretical physics) Risto Pulkkinen (ThD, comparative religion) Simo Skinnari (PhD, pedagogics) Jan Svanberg (PhL, comparative religion) Raimo Tuomainen (PhL, sociology) Riitta Wahlström (PhL & MA, pedagogics & psychology) Ragnar Wikman (PhL, computer science)
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