IBG Questionnaire 1984: An Interim Report

IBG Questionnaire 1984: An Interim ReportAuthor(s): Keith ClaytonSource: Area, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Sep., 1984), pp. 245-248Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20002074 .

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Area (1984) 16.3, 245-248

IBG questionnaire 1984-an interim report

Keith Clayton (President, IBG), School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ

First I set out an analysis of results from 656 completed forms, home and abroad. There were 95 overseas returns, and 561 home. The original numbering and exact wording of the questions is retained, but those not amenable to simple numerical presentation are omitted from this initial report.

2 Current activities

Below are some of the Institute's present activities. Given their approximate current costs and assuming total costs remain the same, would you wish to see the level of any activity altered? Please circle appropriate answers.

Present costs Pay in future per member More Same Less

Transactions ?7.65 39 381 221 Area 6.00 158 413 72 Study Groups 2.60 214 356 67 Research funds 1.30 260 251 103 International Seminars 0.35 199 307 125

Central Office 6.80 29 411 177 Council and other meetings 2.00 19 347 246

3 The present charges for attending the Annual Conference include a contribution of approximately ?2 towards the cost of visitors. Would you prefer to see this:

Increased 52; Decreased 111; Remain the same 304; Taken from all subscriptions? 161.

4 If the following choice of forms of membership were available, which would you find the most attractive?

i Full membership, receiving both Area and Transactions at a cost of ?25 386 ii Full membership, receiving Area only at a cost of ?18 208

iii Full membership, receiving Transactions only at a cost of ?20 41

5 Below is a list of items which may be part of the IBG scene. Could you please indicate your reaction to each proposal?

Support Indifferent Oppose Increased frequency of Area 271 202 181 Increased frequency of Transactions 55 219 280 Increased pagination for Transactions 145 242 267 A genuine newsletter (as well as Area) 277 174 202 Publish book reviews 333 178 138

Withdraw the publication of Special Publications from outside publishers 123 427 102

Subsidise the publication of more marginal Special Publications 164 232 258

245



246 IBG questionnaire

Extend our publication range to include textbooks, etc., which should be commercially viable 291 140 161

Greater discounts for members on Special Publications 333 263 58 Negotiate special rates for non-IBG journals 424 210 19

6 Are there any changes you would like to see in the organisation and number of

study groups? Such as:

Decrease their number: Yes 107 No 377 More support: Yes 300 No 183

7 How would you react to the following suggested innovations in academic and promotional activities?

A Academic innovations Support Indifferent Oppose Change academic content of annual conference 152 377 114 Hold annual conference in a hotel 71 241 345 Lengthen annual conference 41 221 395 Shorten annual conference 58 316 278

Move annual conference to spring 260 199 189 Move it to July 100 185 355 Move it to September 175 202 263 Arrange more field conferences 234 336 80 Organise lectures, symposia and seminars outside annual

meeting 385 216 49 Fuller involvement (including financial support) in

international seminars 263 291 102 More support for research 349 208 96

B Promotional innovations Develop schools liaison 390 186 86 Amalgamate with Heads of Department Conference 167 367 119 Intensify promotion of subject 523 114 18 Improve links with other UK geographical societies 509 140 10

Advertise jobs 357 212 82 Improve international links 431 207 17 Establish a library 96 235 323 Have our own HQwhich members can visit 140 269 250 Promote consultancy 348 205 104 Establish medals and prizes 123 248 287

8 Should our criteria for membership of the IBG:

be tightened 68

stay as at present 465

be abandoned? 96

9 Should we encourage a new category of undergraduate membership?

Yes 391 No 246

10 Should Council be concerned with research and/or consultancy ethics?

Yes 466 No 155



IBG questionnaire 247

11 In view of your answer to previous questions, do you think that the annual subscrip tion (allowing for increases in line with inflation) should:

remain unchanged 475 be increased 155

12 How would you describe your level of commitment to the IBG?

very high 52 high 126 moderate 288 low 129 very low 43

15 Have you ever attended an Annual Conference?

Yes 589 No 61

16 Approximately how many study group conferences (apart from those at the Annual Conference) have you attended in the last five years?

none 94 1 195 2 89 3 220 4 57 5 or more 3

17 Have you ever published in:

Area Yes 234 No 416

Transactions Yes 181 No 468

These results were available just in time to report to Council at its meeting in May, and appropriate sections were discussed by the Publications Committee in July. There will be further decisions taken at the October Council meeting, and a general oppor tunity to discuss these views and appropriate actions at the AGM in Leeds.

Some of the strongest views gave no surprise, though expressed in this way they are perhaps more likely to bring about change. Thus the wish to transfer spending from subscription income away from Transactions and not to increase its frequency has already been anticipated. We have decided to increase substantially the subscription rate to Transactions for non-members so that in future it should produce a profit for the IBG, and the true cost to members should then be no more than the run-on cost and postage. Council could then consider a special subscription rate for the 208 respondents who would prefer to pay rather less and just receive Area. Efforts are

always being made to contain other items of expenditure which are inevitably less popu lar, though very necessary. Our problem has been that a declining membership still requires democratic government and the services of an office; here our best way forward is to stabilise and then to increase the total membership.

It may well be that attention to some of the 'promotional' ideas (by no means all of them new) will attract back members who see their subscription helping the subject.



248 IBG questionnaire

The overwhelming votes for intensifying the promotion of the subject, improving links with other societies, and developing international links (an average of only 15 votes

against each) should be reflected in greater activity very soon, for there has been much

serious discussion of these matters this year. At the same time, there will be some relief that neither a library, nor medals and prizes, are high on our priorities.

With 589 respondents claiming to have attended an annual conference, and 280 attending three or more study group meetings outside the annual conference in the last five years, the importance of these aspects of the IBG is emphasised. Let us hope that the support expressed here for field conferences and lectures and symposia outside the annual meeting are carried through to action-and support. And while most replies are content with the length and content of the annual conference, there seems enough support for a spring date for it to be tried one adventurous year. On the other hand, the fact that 435 (at least), or about two-thirds of respondents, have not bought any of the recent Special Publications makes one wonder about the relationship between our service to members as authors and to members as readers.

One other important feature of the questionnaires is the number of comments, some of them very long. These are an important source of advice for Council, and judging from the style of some, it seems surprising that a questionnaire was needed to stimulate

the comment. I hope that more of our members now feel that someone may be listening, and perhaps the views in this issue of Area herald a new period of open debate about our subject and our Institute. To everyone who helped produce the questionnaire, and especially to those of you who filled it in, my thanks.

Geographical Papers

This series is produced by the Department of Geography, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 2AB, England, from whom copies may be obtained. Cheques should be payable in sterling via a UK bank, and should be made payable to Reading Geographical Papers. Recent publications include:

77 Industrial restructuring, state intervention and regional growth; the example of Alfa Sud in Southern Italy, by Ash Amin. ?1.50

78 The illegal housing sector in Portugal-' Bairros Clandestinos ', by Abilio S Cardoso. ?1. 50 83 A business and a charity: conservation in transition, by R M Newcomb. ?1.50 84 Housebuilders in an area of growth: Central Berkshire, by S C Fleming. ?2.40 85 Planning councillors in an area of growth: Central Berkshire, by S C Fleming and S J G Witt.

?2.40

W B Fisher

We regret to announce the death of Professor William B Fisher on 26 June 1984. He was edu cated in Manchester and Paris, and worked at the Universities of Manchester and Aberdeen before moving in 1954 to the University of Durham as Reader and Head of Department, becoming the first Professor of Geography in 1956. He retired in 1981.



Documents

IBG Questionnaire 1984: An Interim Report