Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 E-books: an editor’s view E Book Conference June 2008 Steve O’Connor Editor Library Management

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Role of an Editor International Peer reviewed journal –pressure to get ‘listed’ –To mentor potential authors –Say “no” to those who just will not make it –Create new possibilities LMC totally in Chinese Includes both International and Chinese authors Expectations observed to journal publishing last 5 years –Retention of the print version –Demand of the author to expect a ‘print version’ or look alike –Greater demand for publishing –Decline, even disappearance of the Editorial

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Observations Articles are typically around the 4,000 to 6,000 word length A book might be around 100,000 words Both are still produced in print but as a by- product of the digital means of creation Both are simply digital objects Both just exist out there in ‘key-word retrievable land’

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 The Process Who or what adds value to publishing content? Reviewing process –Peer review –Editorial Advisory Board Members and editorial staff Impediments to success on the internet –Note plagiarism –Note ‘sloppy’ attributions –Scandals of publishing without authority (Lonely Planet, various authors purporting to be or done something when they had not)

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Trust Kieron O’Hara Trust Totem Books, 2004 Not necessarily moral.. can be quite absent Trust is in systems and expectations…. a predictability Changing environment Replacement with individuality and autonomy Vertical and Horizontal ( Geoffrey Bilder) –Vertical.. relationships of authority Decline in respect for peer reviewed processes –Horizontal.. With our peers, family neighbours

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Trust and publishing Trust is necessary for any kind of cooperative endeavours Any activity involving two persons involves some mutual trust Internet and authority are two terms which go not necessarily sit easily together Publishing and Trust sit well together.. Or do they? How do we give stamp of authenticity to material? DOI?, Publishing Brand?

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Internet Trust Scholarly Trust Vertical Horizontal Local Global

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Precautionary principle Impact of trust on new publishing efforts such as Blogs, wikis etc.. Not ephemera New publishing becoming part of the scholarly communication process These communications will become the record for tomorrow Are we able to trust or stamp the product from these processes? Do we need e-books, a series of articles or blogs as ‘digital objects’? Do we have effective models of access, discovery and archiving?

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Questions A serial article translates to e-form easily and is readable ( easy acceptance as pdf) Should we be translating books as ‘artifacts’ into digital environment? No such thing as serendipity in e-book world Should we package e-books into parcels of information? Is the search for a suitable reading vehicle (e.g. Kindle) the real issue?

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Directions Users initiate change to communication, especially in Web 2.0 Do we need to replicate the old technology into the new? ‘Digital incunabula’ Accessibility from Everywhere is a real plus Writing for the new ‘e-book’ or modes of communication will evolve into different skills New e-book might be the Blogs and Wikis of the present but what about Trust and the stamp of authenticity Is the e-book an interim phase to…..

Steve O’Connor e-Book Conference, Kowloon Tong, June 2008 Publishing and communication will change ….