The proliferation of encyclopedias and dictionaries in every field raises questions concerning the scholarly purpose and economics of these enterprises: Who stands to benefit from them most, and who can afford them? A new encyclopedia of medieval Italy distills for the current moment the latest canonical judgment of editors and authors about which subjects merit scrutiny and how much weight they should receive in a reference work intended to be consulted rather than read from cover to cover. The process of interdisciplinary collaboration results in a collective portrait of medieval Italy containing some surprises, only a few of which are pleasant.
The Journal of Interdisciplinary History features substantive articles, research notes, review essays, and book reviews relating historical research and work in applied fields such as economics and demographics. Spanning all geographical areas and periods of history, topics include: social history demographic history psychohistory political history family history economic history cultural history technological history
Among the largest university presses in the world, The MIT Press publishes over 200 new books each year along with 30 journals in the arts and humanities, economics, international affairs, history, political science, science and technology along with other disciplines. We were among the first university presses to offer titles electronically and we continue to adopt technologies that allow us to better support the scholarly mission and disseminate our content widely. The Press's enthusiasm for innovation is reflected in our continuing exploration of this frontier. Since the late 1960s, we have experimented with generation after generation of electronic publishing tools. Through our commitment to new products—whether digital journals or entirely new forms of communication—we have continued to look for the most efficient and effective means to serve our readership. Our readers have come to expect excellence from our products, and they can count on us to maintain a commitment to producing rigorous and innovative information products in whatever forms the future of publishing may bring.
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The Journal of Interdisciplinary History
© 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the editors of The Journal of Interdisciplinary History
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