Electronic Journals AD140Brendan Rapple College of Advancing Studies29 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: Graphics Audio Video Animated 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.