Periodicals

Serials on Arms Control: Resources from the Arms Control Collection

at the University of Illinois Library

Stephen Atkins

Serials constitute an essential part of the Arms Control Collection

at the University of Illinois Library. Here, the author describes

thirty-seven journals, newsletters, and papers.

Atkins is a Political Science Subject Specialist at the Education and Social Sciences Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. For a discussion of the history and organization of the arms control collection, and an annotated bibliography of the collection's reference materials, see his related article, "The Arms Control Collection at the University of Illinois Library," in the spring 1986 issue (volume 14, number 1 of Reference Services Review).

Arms control, disarmament, international security and peace are topics of growing concern among scholars. This concern is a reaction to the heightened international tensions during the past decade. Researchers are aware that their work might contribute to an understanding of the sources of conflict and to the possibility of peaceful resolution of international issues. Interest in the field is rapidly expanding both in the United States and abroad, but there has been little agreement on the direction research should take. Research institutes, think-tanks and university programs around the world are giving an increasing emphasis to the study of arms control, interna- tional security, and peace. Researchers are having difficulty keeping abreast of current developments and digesting the host of publica- tions in this area that have appeared recently.

The interdisciplinary nature of the study of arms control, disarmament, international security, and peace makes the bibliographic control of materials related to these topics difficult. There is an ideological incompatibility between researchers working in the field of international security and those concerned with "peace studies." Scholars concerned with arms control find themselves somewhere between these two poles. Although these groups use the same research materials, they approach their research from different vantage points.

The Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security Collection at the library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham- paign reflects both the interdisciplinary nature

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of arms control and peace and the differing philosophical approaches to the field.

Serials constitute an essential part of the Arms Control Collection at the library of the University of Illinois, in that they provide more timely information than books can offer. Several of the newsletters in the collection include brief, useful lists of recent publications. Journals also offer more varied perspectives than do books. There are approximately 39 serials in the collection.

While newsletters are inexpensive, journals and defense industry publications can be costly. Some of the journals cost as much as $50 or even $200 per year. Defense industry materials can cost between $150 and $5,000; the average price is $400. An arms control collection is expensive to maintain because much of the time the subscription price includes a surcharge that must be paid for intelligence information. Materials on the study of peace are always much cheaper since it is less important that information be up-to-date, and since publishers of works intended to advance the cause of peace are more interested in widespread distribution than in profits.

Since there is little doubt that the demand for information about arms control, disarma- ment, international security, and peace will continue to grow, materials on these subjects should be included in any library intended to serve researchers.

JOURNALS

Armed Forces and Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Military Institutions, Civil-Military Relations, Arms Control and Peacekeeping, and Conflict Management. 1974-. Cabin John, MD: Seven Locks Press.

This journal is international in scope, and concentrates on historical, comparative, and interdisciplinary writings on the military's relationship with society. It publishes excellent articles on a range of significant issues related to arms control. It is the official journal of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society.

Arms Control: The Journal of Arms Control and Disarmament. 1980-. London: Frank Cass.

Arms control is interpreted broadly in this journal to include any serious proposal to curb or reduce the probability or severity of war, or to bring down the level of international, peacetime expenditure on, and preparation for, warlike activity. While this journal is published only three times a year, the articles appearing in it make it one of the most influential journals in the field of arms control.

Bulletin of Peace Proposals. 1970-. Oslo, Norway: Universitelsforlaget.

This quarterly journal's purpose is to promote research on issues related to peace. The journal's international authorship makes it invaluable as a source of information on peace research. The Bulletin is a product of the internationally renowned International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Norway.

All arms control and peace collections are obligated to invest heavily in journals. The quality of research and the authors' expertise make journals the backbone of any research collection. Consequently, the policy of the Arms Control Collection is to collect all journals in the field.

AEI Foreign Policy and Defense Review. 1979-. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

Formerly entitled the AEI Defense Review, this journal provides a forum for the examina- tion of the foreign policy of the United States. Although the journal was originally devoted mostly to articles on defense policies, the journal recently began to place more emphasis on foreign policy. Each issue includes one or more articles written on a particular theme by distinguished authorities in the foreign policy field.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 1945-. Chicago: Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science.

The authors of the articles published in this journal are eminent scientists and scholars involved in the study of peace. This publica- tion is their vehicle for informing opinion makers and the general public about nuclear energy and the danger of nuclear war. Each issue includes a number of articles concerning arms control, international security, and nuclear policy.

Comparative Strategy: An International Journal. 1978-. New York: Crane Russak.

The primary objective of this journal is to explore significant foreign policy issues and to disseminate information concerning these issues to the academic, research, governmental, and business communities. It is published for the Strategic Studies Center and is intended to examine international strategic issues from a

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range of political, military, and economic perspectives.

Defense nationale: problemes politiques, economiques, scientifiques, militaires. 1939-. Paris: Defense nationale.

This journal is one of the most influential French journals in the fields of arms control and military strategy. Although most articles have an international orientation, the value of this publication is in its articulation of the French viewpoint on issues of defense.

Foreign Affairs. 1922-. New York: Council of Foreign Relations.

Foreign Affairs is the foreign policy establishment's leading forum for writings on American and international foreign policy. It periodically includes short reviews of books on international relations, lists of source materials for further research, and chronologies of events related to various subjects. Any serious arms control and international security collection should include this journal.

ISSUP Strategic Review: Strategiese Oorsig. Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Strategic Studies.

Each issue of this quarterly journal includes three or four short articles on strategic issues dealing with the security of South Africa, Africa, and the surrounding strategically significant waters. Most of this journal's articles are written by American authors sympathetic to the South African government.

International Defense Review. 1968-. Geneva: Interavia.

This monthly journal is one of the most authoritative publications in the defense field. It traces scientific and technological advances within the world's defense industries, and provides information about major defense contracts.

Journal of Peace Research. 1964-. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

This is an interdisciplinary, international journal that publishes scientific reports on peace-related research. It focuses on research concerning direct and structural violence, conflict theory, and theoretical debates. Editorial support comes from the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, Norway.

Millennium: Journal of International Studies. 1971-. Oxford: Martin Robertson.

Historical and theoretical articles on international affairs appear in this scholarly journal. Outstanding, extensive book reviews on the most significant books in the field appear in each issue. Millenium is published under the auspices of the London School of Economics.

NATO Review. 1953-. Brussels: NATO Informa- tion Service.

NATO Review is published bimonthly and is the official organ of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Its purpose is to contribute to a constructive discussion of NATO's problems. Most of the journal's articles deal with the organizational structure within the NATO alliance.

NATO's Sixteen Nations: Independent Review of Economic, Political and Military Power. Amstelveen, Netherlands: Jules Perel's Publish- ing.

This journal is primarily composed of articles examining the defense posture of the NATO alliance. Although it addresses scientific and technological matters, its major emphasis is upon NATO's military strategy and weaponry.

National Defense: Journal of the American Defense Preparedness Association. 1920-. Arlington, VA: National Defense.

The American Defense Preparedness Association produces this monthly journal. This journal serves as a sounding board for American military personnel, as a place for defense contractors to advertise weapon systems, and as a source of information for researchers studying the opinions of American pro-defense lobbyists.

Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs. 1957-. Philadelphia: Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Orbis includes scholarly articles on arms control, disarmament, and international affairs. It also includes excellent review essays and brief reviews of publications received by its sponsor, the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Peace Research Abstracts Journal. 1964-. Dundas, Ontario: Peace Research Institute- Dundas.

This journal is published under the auspices of UNESCO and is an official publica- tion of the International Peace Research Association. It includes abstracts of books, journal articles, and conference proceedings dealing with arms control, disarmament, international security, military affairs, and issues related to peace. It affords itself of

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subject access and has an author index.

Strategic Review. 1972-. Cambridge, MA: United States Strategic Institute.

This quarterly journal was established by the United States Strategic Institute to contribute to the understanding of American foreign policy and national defense. It is intended to provide a forum for an exchange of ideas on the objectives of American policy.

Strategique: revue trimestrielle de recherches et d'etudes strategiques. 1979-. Paris: Fondation pour les etudes de defense nationale.

The purpose of Strategique is to study international strategic realities. Although articles on the concerns of French strategists predominate, the journal also considers ques- tions pertaining to the strategies of other countries. It is a publication of the Foundation for National Defense Studies in Paris.

Survival. 1959-. London: International Institute for Strategic Studies.

While this bimonthly journal has an excellent international reputation for its articles on strategic issues, its greatest strength lies in its "documentation" section and its list of works that have recently been received by the institute.

The Washington Quarterly: A Review of Strategic and International Issues. 1977-. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgetown University.

Few journals have a more impressive array of contributors than does this quarterly journal. It provides a vehicle for the discussion of the American government's positions on questions of strategy and defense. An occasional white paper on a foreign policy issue is another feature of this journal.

NEWSLETTERS

Newsletters are of little use to scholars in most disciplines, but for research on arms control and peace they are valuable. They provide scholars with a vehicle for communicat- ing with colleagues about articles, books, and developments in the field.

ACDA News Today. Circa 1975-. Washington, DC: Office of Public Affairs.

The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency prepares this newsletter to inform government personnel about arms control. Each week,

selected newspaper articles are reproduced. This newsletter is widely distributed throughout the American government.

ACDIS Bulletin. 1979-. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois, Office of Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security.

This newsletter is a monthly compilation of excerpted articles, press releases, summaries, and announcements produced by the Office of Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security (ACDIS). On occasion, special features are also highlighted.

ADIU Report: Armament and Disarmament Information Unit. 1978-. Brighton, Sussex: University of Sussex.

News relating to defense, disarmament, and arms control is provided in this bimonthly publication. Although much of the material concerns the United Kingdom, the publishers make an effort to include information from other nations. The Armament and Disarmament Information Unit (ADIU) is part of the Science Policy Unit at Sussex University. Besides substantive articles, the report includes good short bibliographies of recent publications.

The Arms Control Reporter. 1980-. Brookline, MA: Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies.

This monthly, loose-leaf publication provides information on arms control and the development of weapons. Over 35 arms control treaties, negotiations, and proposals are mentioned in this publication. The Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies is a private, non-profit research center.

Arms Control Today. 1971-. Washington, DC: Arms Control Association.

This monthly newsletter is intended to promote public understanding of effective policies and programs in arms control and disarmament. While the newsletter includes short articles on activities related to arms control, its strongest point is a bibliography of books and articles that have been published since the last issue.

Current News. Circa 1975-. Washington, DC: United States Air Force.

This newsletter is a weekly compilation of articles on defense issues from a wide variety of newspapers. Published by the Air Force for the Department of Defense, its intent is to bring defense concerns to the attention of employees of that department. A special edition

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of articles on selected issues is also published.

The Defense Monitor. 1972-. Washington, DC: Center for Defense Information.

Short articles and "factsheets" make up this newsletter. It attempts to influence government policy and public opinion. One topic is dealt with in each issue.

Defense Week. Circa 1980-. Washington, DC: Llewellyn King Publishers.

This weekly publication focuses on the provision of information about the American defense industry. A team of analysts writes about trends in the industry and discusses international security. These analysts look at both technological and political developments.

Disarmament Newsletter. 1983-. New York: Department for Disarmament Affairs.

The World Disarmament Campaign Unit for the United Nations publishes this newsletter. While the newsletter's scope includes all i n t e r n a t i o n a l d isarmament activit ies, its emphasis is on the United Nations's participa- tion.

Foreign Military Markets: NATO Weapons 1984~ 1984-. Greenwich, CT: DMS Market Intelligence Reports.

The speciality of this newsletter is current, detailed information on prospective deals for the purchase of NATO equipment.

Friedens f orschung Aktuell. 1975-. Frankfurt: Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforsch- ung.

The Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung/Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt sponsors research on peace. This newsletter appears four times a year and contains articles, short features, and news about the organization's activities.

International Defense Intelligence: Newsletter. 1984-. Greenwich, CT: DMS Market Intelligence Reports.

This weekly newsletter reports news on international defense. It specializes in informa- tion on military contracts and the transfer of arms between countries. Defense Marketing

Services (DMS) produces the newsletter; it is compiled by the DMS Foreign Military Markets Group, with contributions from the European staff of DMS.

La lettre de I'INSED. 1983-. Paris: Association francaise pour les etudes de defense et de desarmement.

Defense, disarmament, and security are the subjects of this French newsletter. It serves as the official organ of the Institut national superieur d'etudes de defense et des desarme- ment (INSED). One of the purposes of the publication is to outline the activities, objec- tives, and research strategies of the INSED.

Strategic and De fence Studies Centre News- letter. Circa 1980-. Canberra, Australia: Australian National University.

This newsletter chronicles the research activities and the personnel changes of the center that produces it. Although most of the research of this think-tank concerns the Southeastern Pacific, the newsletter addresses topics of concern in other parts of the world, as well.

P A P E R S

Papers are larger and more specialized than journal articles. They appear at regular intervals and the subject matter is restricted to a single topic. Most originate from institutions that specialize in international studies. The Arms Control Collection's policy is to obtain as many of these series of papers as possible.

Adelphi Papers. 1964-. London: International Institute for Strategic Studies.

This series is acknowledged to be one of the leading research sources in the arms control field. Eight or ten of these papers appear in an average year.

Papers. 1977-. Tel Aviv: Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel Aviv University.

The objective of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies is to increase the public's knowledge about subjects related to Israel's defense and international security.

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