Hopewell Archeology was initiated in 1995 to “promote interest in the study and interpretation of Hopewell archeology” (Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 2). Since its inception, we have managed to produce 11 issues (counting the one you are now reading) featuring a wide range of topics. The first issue of this newsletter was printed on standard white paper, and subsequent issues were printed on green paper. This is the first issue of Hopewell Archeology since Volume 5, Number 2 was printed in December 2002.

In 2002 the Midwest Archeological Center was selected for a Competitive Sourcing Initiative Study by the National Park Service. The Competitive Sourcing Initiative (CSI) is designed to compare the cost of activities performed by government workers with the cost of doing those same activities by the private sector. From September of 2002 through October of 2003, employees at the Midwest Archeological Center spent a tremendous amount of time generating information for the CSI Study. Regrettably, this meant that production of Hopewell Archeology and many other important programs at the Center were put on hold while employees worked to generate data to justify keeping their jobs. The Department of the Interior elected to halt the CSI Study at the Center in October of 2003 (“Threats of Privatization Beaten Back”, Lincoln-Journal Star, October 29, 2003).

Nearly a year after the end of the CSI Study at the Midwest Archeological Center, we are still trying to catch up on work and projects that were set aside during the course of the study. Happily, we are now ready to resume publication of Hopewell Archeology. The nearly two-year hiatus in the publication of this newsletter has brought changes to the format we plan to use for publication. The National Park Service is experiencing funding shortages in many of its programs, and the high costs of printing and mailing are leading us to move to an electronic publication format.

The shift to electronic publication is a worldwide trend, and we believe it has many benefits beyond the savings on printing and mailing costs. The electronic format will allow us to include a wider range of features, with fewer limitations on the length of papers and the numbers and types of illustrations and graphics. One of the most exciting aspects of the electronic format is that we will be able to begin using color figures. This should add interest to many of the papers we feature, and this will give readers a better appreciation for the sites and artifacts of Hopewell archeology. Most importantly, the electronic format has the potential to reach many more people. The increasing use of the Internet to share information cannot be ignored, and this is the perfect time for us to join that trend. For those of us who still enjoy reading paper copies, or maintaining paper files for reference, this issue of Hopewell Archeology and all future issues will be posted in a format that you will be able to print.

One final issue relating to the shift to an electronic format warrants special comment. We have noted that many of the papers that we published in previous issues of Hopewell Archeology have been cited by authors in their own publications. We hope that readers will continue to find the papers we publish useful and worthy of citation. Recognizing that some readers might be uncertain as to the appropriate way to cite Internet publications, I have asked John M. Andresen, the Editor at the Midwest Archeological Center, to share some of his thoughts on this subject (Article 8, this issue).

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