Welcome again!

[Gretchen Whitney]

 Hi all,
   And welcome again to our virtual SIG.

   We're working on several projects for the SIG, including a regular scan
of the literature and databases for relevant papers which will evolve into
a database, news of resources, comments on articles, book reviews, chats
with researchers, and other activities.

   As we evolve as a community, we also want to be conscious of building
an archive of resources and discussions for ourselves and for future
scholars and researchers.  The SIG-Metrics archive

 http://listserv.utk.edu/archives/sigmetrics.html

 should form a valuable resource for those new to the field and those
established in it.

   We are also going to be experimenting with a variety of ways to present
information, as well as communication methods. So please expect a bump in
the road now and again, and bear with us.

   We see this very much as an information-exchange SIG (as opposed to one
that has specific objectives or a mission to accomplish).  And we hope
that it will be hospitable both for the established scholar and the new
 student.

   The description of the SIG indicates:

 SIGMETRICS is a listserv discussion group that
covers bibliometrics, scientometrics and informetrics, but also metrics
as related to the design and operation of Digital Libraries and other
information systems interpreted broadly.

   We have two questions to get the conversation
going:

   1.  How would you define what we are about?

   2.  What would you like to see a Virtual SIG do?


Eugene Garfield
Gretchen Whitney