Electronic Journals

AD140 Brendan RappleCollege of Advancing Studies 29 Jan., 2003

WWW

• The Internet is beginning to alter radically how numerous scholars are

» accessing, » processing, » and exchanging information.

E-Journals• In addition, there are now hundreds of electronic

journals -- a new medium that will change much of the nature of academic publishing.

• Not only in scientific and technological areas, the social sciences and humanities are also well catered to.

Examples• Bryn Mawr Classical Review News

• Ullam Quarterly

• Funhouse! The Cyberzine of Degenerate Pop Culture

• Solstice: An Electronic Journal of Geography and Mathematics

• Education Policy Analysis Archives

Still, Relatively Few

Bear in mind:

– the number of serious academic electronic journals is still insignificant compared to the huge numbers of print scholarly journals.

Important Distinction

• E-journals that have print counterparts.

• E-journals that do not.

Process of Getting an Article Published

Similarities Between E- and Print Journals

Many e-journals are very similar to print journals:– issued on a regular basis;

– have editors, editorial boards and editorial advisors;

– suitable submitted papers are sent out to referees for comment;

– a limited number of articles (perhaps five to ten) are published in each issue.

Similarities Between E- and Print Journals

• Online articles often have a very similar appearance to those published in print journals.

• Articles are likely to be read in a linear fashion.

• Articles have references or footnotes to which the reader can refer for further research.

• Articles are likely to be of a standard length: around 3,000-8,000 words in most cases.

Some Benefits of E-Journals

» Easier to access -- no need to go to library

» Price

» Speed

» Feedback

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• Fewer restrictions, e.g. with respect to

• the number of articles in an issue

• their length

• their presentation

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• Electronic publication allows for mass customization of articles: there can be a

» a one-paragraph abstract,

» a one-page executive summary,

» a four-page overview,

» a 20-page article,

» a 50-page appendix.• All aimed at different levels of readers.

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• Broader Treatment:

GraphicsAudioVideoAnimated Graphics

• Thus, "what we will have is not simply an electronic version of a paper

journal, but an entirely new creature."

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• Eliminates need for photocopying

• Easy to download

• Easier to extract information

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• Skip to Actual Article Mentioned in Footnote

• Greater Number of Potential Readers

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• Owners of e-journals can keep track of how often an article is requested by readers.

• Electronic journals do not take up space on library shelves

Some Benefits of E-Journals

• The greatest advantage is that they facilitate true peer review.

• More and more "issues" of electronic journals consist of just one article.

• This might be appealing to many scholars.

• In traditional academic journals most readers are only interested in a single article.

Possible Problems with E-Journals

• Connectivity Problems:

– Power shut-downs– Malfunctioning software– System failures– Network breakdowns– Viruses, etc...

Possible Problems with E-Journals

• Relationship of Publishing in E-Journals to » Tenure

» Promotion

» Research grants, funding etc.

Possible Problems with E-Journals

• Computer illiteracy

• Some software not very user friendly

• Help in manuals or on-screen not always understandable

• Meddling with the text

• How are articles to be cited?

Indexing of E-Journals

• Not all e-journals are indexed or abstracted.

• Some scholars are less interested in submitting work to non-indexed journals.

Elitist or Egalitarian Vehicle• Many Lesser Developed Countries are behind their more

developed fellows in having widespread access to computers.

• Thus, US scholars may not easily transmit their findings to many of their South American, African, and Asian colleagues through electronic journals.

• On the other hand, perhaps electronic journals will prove the savior of scholarship in nations where limited budgets have made it very difficult to subscribe to the ever costlier print journals.