Electronic Journals: What Do Users Think of Them?

The present paper describes a variety of user attitudes and behaviour towards electronic journals. It draws on projects conducted between the early 1980s and the present day. In general, electronic journals still do not support the tasks which users perform and tend to be negatively perceived. Because journal publishers tend to be author-oriented, they have ignored the human factors literature and produced electronic journals for which there is little demand.

McKnight, Cliff. ISRDP in Digital Libraries (1997). Articles>Publishing>Online

Evaluating Faculty Research in the Electronic Age: Business School Deans' Perceptions of Publication Formats  

Perhaps the most obvious example of innovation in faculty performance is the adoption of new technologies for research. Both administrators and faculty have expressed concern about the role that electronic publications play in their research evaluation systems, particularly in Business Schools, where scholarly publication is often emphasized over other activities. Yet, there appears to be no empirical evidence for the way that electronic journals, conference proceedings, and abstracts are evaluated compared to printed paper versions. Therefore, this study sought to determine how Business School Deans regard the physical form in which their faculty are publishing.

Hynes, Geraldine E. and Robert Stretcher. Association for Business Communication (2005). Articles>Publishing>Online>Assessment

Evaluating Our New Look and Moving Online: Seeing Is Believing    

The editorial advisory board and I have been asking our readers' opinions about the journal's redesign and the directions this publication should take in the future. We've also commissioned usability studies and carefully examined the technologies available for online publication. In this editorial, I'd like to share what we've learned and the directions in which we hope to move during the coming year.

Hayhoe, George F. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Publishing>Online>Usability

Facing the Future of Electronic Publishing

Since its inception, Kairos has been criticized both for being too non-traditional and for being too traditional. The journal has always been engaged in a delicate balancing act: we want our authors to have their submissions recognized as valid peer-reviewed scholarship for purposes of tenure and promotion, and we want to make sure that we aren't simply replicating the kind of scholarship that could just as easily exist in a print journal.

Blakesley, David, Doug Eyman, Byron Hawk, Mike Palmquist and Todd Taylor. Enculturation (2002). Articles>Publishing>Online

Forums for Citizen Journalists? Adoption of User Generated Content Initiatives by Online News Media    

The mainstream online news media face accusations of being slow to respond to so-called 'grassroots' or 'citizen journalism', which uses the world wide web, and in particular blogs and wikis, to publish and promote independent news-related content. This article argues that the adaptation of established news websites to the increasing demand from readers for space to express their views is driven as much by local organizational and technical conditions as it is by any attachment to traditional editorial practices. The article uses qualitative research interviews with the editors and managing editors of nine major British news websites to reveal the debates journalists are having about their changing roles, the challenges of meeting commercial expectations and legal obligations, and the innovations taking place in online newsrooms. It provides journalism and interactive media scholars with case studies on the changes taking place in journalism's relationship with its consumers.

Thurman, Neil. New Media and Society (2008). Articles>Publishing>Online>Community

Going Online: Making the Right Decisions  

Putting documents online takes planning and special expertise. Making the right decisions up front can save you months of frustration later on— and help you avoid many pitfalls. This workshop provides everything you need to know about planning and managing an online project. It deals with the decision-making process, not the design process. It is intended for managers, technical communicators, and consultants responsible for putting documents online.

Rockley, Ann. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Publishing>Online

The Guild Model  

The Guild Publishing Model is a workable and presently working model, taken seriously in computer science, economics, business, and demography among other fields; however, it has not entered the discussion of scholarly electronic communication. Instead, for example, discussion of scholarly communication in high energy physics focuses on arXiv.org, the repository model. We believe that this is a mistake; the GPM is an important and significant model that is worth noting, examining, and extending to other fields. The GPM can provide rapid sharing of information and increased comprehensive research access for those in academic departments or research institutes with small libraries, and it is an economically feasible model for institutions with basic computing support. The GPM is flexible, set up locally, according to interest, need, and available resources.

Kling, Rob, Lisa Spector and Geoff McKim. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2002). Articles>Publishing>Research>Online

The Half-Life of Internet References Cited in Communication Journals    

This exploratory study examines the use of online citations, focusing on five leading journals in journalism and communication. It analyzes 1126 URL reference addresses in citations of articles published between 2000 and 2003. The results show that only 61 percent of the online citations remain accessible in 2004 and 39 percent do not. The content analysis also shows that .org and .gov are the most stable domains. Error messages for 'dead' URL addresses are explored. The instability of online citations raises concerns for researchers, editors and associations.

Dimitrova, Daniela V. and Michael Bugeja. New Media and Society (2007). Articles>Publishing>Research>Online

Review: The Handbook of Digital Publishing  

The Handbook of Digital Publishing is a remarkable work for both its breadth of content and the quality of explanation. The handbook is, quite simply, overwhelming. From animation to ZIP files, surely these two volumes have it covered. I looked up things I knew and things I didn't. For both, I found in Kleper a lucid, detailed explanation, usually complete with topic history, technical specifications, and options for use.

Hudak-David, Ginny. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Publishing>Online

Harnessing the Power of the Internet  

The 'information highway' and 'World Wide Web' are hot topics today. Companies are feeling that they must have a Web presence. Companies are also using Internet technology (HTML) to put technical documentation on the Net or on internal networks. Technical communicators are being asked to create Web pages and Internet documents. In this one-day seminar, you will discover what Internet publishing is all about. You’ll learn how to design effective Web pages and Internet documents.

Rockley, Ann. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Publishing>Online

How Scientists Retrieve Publications: An Empirical Study of How the Internet Is Overtaking Paper Media  

Bo-Christer Björk and Ziga Turk, editor and one of the co-editors of the Electronic Journal of Information Technology in Construction, surveyed scientists and discovered that they increasingly look to e-journals for information.

Bjork, Bo-Christer and Ziga Turk. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2000). Articles>Publishing>Online

How to Get Your Blog Mentioned in the Society for Technical Communication's Intercom: Include the Word "Technical Communicator"

The keywords that set off the Intercom editor's Google Alert no doubt included technical communicator, technical writer, technical communication, and Society for Technical Communication.

Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Publishing>Online>Blogging

Modern Chivalry and the Case for Electronic Texts  

Finding editions of particular literary texts for the purposes of teaching or research has always been a problem for literary scholars. Given the current proliferation of electronic versions of texts available on the World Wide Web, it is tempting to assume that the problem is solved. Yet most professors are reluctant to use these sites and do not often recommend them to students. In reflecting on the reasons for this phenomenon, the most obvious causes seem to stem from questions of authority, design, and a general lack of knowledge concerning what is available and where it can be attained.

McIntire-Strasburg, Janice. TWI (2003). Articles>Publishing>Online

Imparting Values to the Peer Review Process    

Writing is popularly believed to be a spontaneous exercise. Often it is, but one cannot sustain oneself as a writer of merit, as a writer whose works will live on, without quality. Quality control--who could disagree with that? Whatever we write needs to be freed from both paper and its production costs, but not from peer review, whose 'invisible hand' is what maintains its quality. Peer review is educative, informative, enlightening. Peer review invests you with the confidence that eggs you on to keep writing. Peer review offers you the credibility you seek in the writing market, from editors, publishers, agents and readers. Peer review lends respect to your writing, and with time, to your by-line.

Aiyyangar, Ramesh. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>Publishing>Online

In Google We Trust?  

Trust, authority, and reputation are central to scholarly publishing, but the trust model of the Internet is almost antithetical to the trust model of academia. Publishers have been so preoccupied with the brute mechanics of moving content to the online world that they have virtually ignored the challenge that the Internet trust model poses to the scholarly publisher. Publishers can learn much about approaches to handling Internet trust from the actions of major online players outside the publishing industry. Publishers should also benefit from watching the trust models that are being experimented with in the nascent realm of social software applications. Publishers once led the way in establishing the apparatus of trust during the transition from manuscript to print culture in early modern Europe. Ultimately, publishers should again take the lead in helping to establish new mechanisms of trust in what could reasonably be described as 'the early modern Internet.'

Bilder, Geoffrey. Journal of Electronic Publishing (2006). Articles>Publishing>Online>Search

Independent Publishing is Growing Up

It can be said that the first year you publish an independent web zine you are in the process of learning the concept of the independent web. There is no one definition that could incapsulate what is and what isn't the indepenedent web other than the independent web is free. Free from commercialization. Free from censorship. Free from politics. Free from the boxes that we can find ourselves working our day jobs. The independent web movement is about everything we can't do elsewhere. What we can't do at our day jobs, we do on the web. What we can't do in our country, we do on the web. What we can't express elsewhere, we express on the web. We do it by ourselves for ourselves. It's our sandbox and it is our right to express ourselves not just as citizens of a country but as human beings as individuals.

Finck, Nick. Digital Web Magazine (2002). Articles>Publishing>Online

Institutional Repositories: Partnering with Faculty to Enhance Scholarly Communication

Institutional repositories build on a growing grassroots faculty practice of posting research online, most often on personal web sites, but also on departmental sites or in disciplinary repositories. This demonstrates a desire for expanded exposure of, and access to, their work. In addition, digital publishing technologies, ever-expanding global networking, and enabling interoperability protocols and metadata standards are coalescing to provide practical technical solutions that can be implemented now. The convergence of these interrelated strands indicates that institutional repositories merit serious and immediate consideration from academic institutions and their constituent faculty, librarians, and administrators.

Johnson, Richard K. D-Lib Magazine (2002). Articles>Publishing>Online

Introduction to Electronic Publishing on the Internet  

Publishing electronically is becoming increasingly important as global networks expand, providing a new audience. for the new medium. The volume of information available electronically is staggering, and electronic media are becoming available to thousands of more people daily. The audience for electronic publishing is vast, educated, scientifically and technologically sophisticated, and international, perhaps more so than for print publications. Electronic professional journals (e-journals) are gaining acceptability, especially when editors exercise credible peer review. Because many technical communicators are technologically oriented, they are well positioned to facilitate electronic document publishing Knowing how to use the Internet can be an important job skill.

Farrell, Susan and Leigh McElvaney. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Publishing>Online

Is Scientific Writing on the Fast Lane of the Information Highway? An Analysis of Electronic Publishing  

Because of the advances of computer technology and the accessibility of the Information Information Superhighway, electronic publishing is surpassing print literature. Electronic publishing includes libraries, on-demand publishing and journals. This paper specifically covers the purpose of electronic journals and the techniques for publishing. It also focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of electronic journals, and asks 'Is it a viable form of written communication?'

Burdan, Amy L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Scientific Communication>Publishing>Online

Issues in Sustainability: Creating Value for Online Users  

Based on a talk given at the 2003 IMLS Web-Wise Conference, this paper addresses two issues related to the long-term sustainability of collections that museums, libraries, and other heritage institutions put online. The first is that of building collections and services that are core to the mission of the institution and that are likely to win support among its users. The second is the planning process of building those collections and services. In the latter case, Smith describes an IMLS-funded project that the Council on Library and Information Resources has undertaken to assess the business planning processes used by museums and libraries and offer models to follow.

Smith, Abby. First Monday (2003). Articles>Publishing>Online

"Just" Professing: A Call for the Valuation of Prototypical Electronic Scholarship  

We should not limit our view of 'what counts' as electronic publishing to online journals that merely replicate print conventions but enlarge it to include other, even yet-to-be-developed forms of electronic publishing.

Nahrwold, Cynthia. Kairos (1997). Articles>Publishing>Online

Layered Data View for Searching, Browsing, and Presenting Scholarly Documents

This paper describes about the study result on text formats suitable for searching, browsing, and presenting scholarly documents as a digital library service, in relation with the document distribution formats and with the data production methods. Two types of data sources are considered in the context of their application to NACSIS-ELS. The printed document sources are first discussed mainly from the viewpoint of fulltext data production and their application, including application of OCR and document structure recognition technology. Electronic text sources are then discussed mainly from the viewpoint of format conversion and the mutual relation among formats for layered data view.

Oyama, Keizo. ISRDP in Digital Libraries (1997). Articles>Publishing>Online

Legal Issues in Cyberspace  

What are these issues and how do they affect you? Whether writing source code, developing e-commerce Web sites, or using the Web for business or as a consumer, you can be affected by Internet law in ways you might not imagine. Our rights of free speech and privacy take on new dimensions in cyberspace. Our copyright and trademark laws are being applied to cyberspace with caution and controversy. New avenues of criminal activity in cyberspace can wreak havoc in our business, professional, and personal worlds. This paper focuses on Internet law involving copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, free speech, and privacy.

Kagan, Elissa. STC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Publishing>Legal>Online

Literature-Space Vs. Cyberspace

Stories are so hardwired into our subconscious that it would not surprise me if we did indeed inhabit a story-space that is different from our web-based reading-space. This is a testable proposition. Do our brains work differently when we are in the middle of a story versus when we are in the middle of web surfing? I would be astounded if they were the same. But if that was all the happened -- different strokes for stories than for links, then the solution to exiting the web and entering stories is easy -- just read, listen, or watch more stories.

Kelly, Kevin. KK (2008). Articles>Publishing>Online>User Centered Design