Electronic Journal Publishing: A Reader Version 2.0

Published by INASP, 2001

©INASP 2001

http://www.inasp.info

8.1 Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age [1]

Summary of major points from the Oxford Workshop,
10–12 May 1999

Background

Over the past three years there have been a number of practical support activities in the field of scientific communication and publishing. These include initiatives from the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) [2] to improve the quality of journalpublishing, publicity and access; British Council efforts to see that scientific communication becomes an integral part of the overall Global Knowledge [3] agenda and to see that the world's pool of knowledge is harnessed/managed to support the overall development process; and the International Council for Science (ICSU)/INASP/ UNESCO [4] and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conferences on electronic publishing. More significantly, there is a growing feeling that marginalised and invisible science is a terrible loss to the international science base and that the perspectives and requirements of many countries and regions need a stronger voice, as exemplified in Prof. Ana Maria Cetto's paper, Democratic Approach to Electronic Publishing in a Non-democratic System. [5]

Aims

The Oxford workshop aimed to provide a forum where the perspective, the content and the visibility of scholarly communication for marginalised scientific communities could be explored and expressed. Colleagues from Latin America, Asia and Africa were joined by a small number of partners from organisations and networks involved in supporting their initiatives. To our knowledge there has never been a forum with this mix of participants addressing this topic. The energy, the level and the quality of discussion was striking – the very richness of the contributions provided a huge challenge to those responsible for reporting and attempting to synthesise the event.

Major themes that emerged

1 There is much experience to share
The experience and contexts are diverse, and there is an immense variety of publishing experience to be shared, ranging from the Brazilian SciELO model, [6] a global pacesetter, to the more modest African Journals OnLine (AJOL) [7] and Education Publishing Trust (EPT) [8] initiatives; and from electronic-only journals like Chile's Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, [9] or the Institute of Physics Publishing New Journal of Physics [10] and the print and electronic versions of journals of the Zimbabwe Scientific Association. [11] This diversity of publishing models to some extent mirrors a diversity in (i) infrastructure and access to information communication technologies, (ii) economic support and setting, and (iii) the quality and quantity of science being done.

Different countries at different stages of development will need to adopt different strategies in their approaches to electronic publishing. A matrix has been developed as a possible method to assist in identifying strategic areas for attention. It measures a country's level of technical capacity against its use of electronic publishing. Technical capacity includes not only technological infrastructure but also skills.

It is assumed that (a) it is desirable to move to electronic publishing (a view endorsed by the workshop) and (b) that an acceptable level of output of scientific research is being produced.

The matrix overleaf indicates the present situation in which any country could find itself. The desirable position is on the diagonal line, moving progressively – and, ideally, simultaneously – towards the right and upwards. The matrix is divided into four segments, A to D, each representing a generalised position as regards to the two variables. Countries in the top right-hand segment (B) already have a high level of technical capacity and are using it for electronic publishing. They are considered to be in a state of relative self-sufficiency, thought this does not necessarily mean that there is no reliance on external financial support (e.g. SciELO). Those in the bottom left-hand segment (C) are yet to begin – but are in danger of being left behind if they do not progress in one or other direction (e.g. Sri Lanka).

Countries in segment (A) are presently in a situation of dependency, though this is not intended to give a negative connotation. Countries which are not themselves able to publish scientific research electronically because of a lack of technical capacity may be able to find partners who can publish on their behalf (e.g. Zimbabwe Scientific Association/EPT/Bioline). Countries in segment (D) have a good output of scientific publishing in `traditional' forms, yet have not adopted electronic formats. They have the potential to enter electronic publishing successfully.

Use of electronic publishing

Low                                                    High

Dependency

 

 

[A]

Self-sufficiency

 

 

[B]

Left behind

 

 

[C]

Potential

 

 

[D]

 

Level of technical infrastructure

Low                                                                  High

 

2 Access, connectivity and general infrastructure are holding the scientific community back in many countries
Break-out discussions during the workshop emphasised the need for computers, adequate telecommunications, bandwidth, etc. While the general picture is improving, and the statistics presented by Lishan Adam, Adviser on Connectivity for the Economic Commission for Africa, do tell a dramatic story of progress in Africa. [12] However, the academic and research community is often left out.

3 Widening access to skills and knowledge needed for good electronic publishing
There is a skills and knowledge gap, not just among scientific editors and publishers: all scientific authors also need to know the basic principles and appreciate the potential of electronic publishing as a multi-dimensional communication tool (compared to the linear print model). This is across-cutting need and, as Leslie Chan of the Centre for Instructional Development, University of Toronto, pointed out, the training need is as apparent in Canada as anywhere else.

This involves us in the need to:

4 Recognition of the importance of electronic publishing as a direct support for the improvement of the quality of science
Appropriately marketed and publicised electronic publishing results in global visibility, enabling constructive and timely feedback from the world scientific community and new potential for repackaging scientific publications in various ways:

Electronic communication makes traditional peer review processes potentially easier and quicker. But, more than this, electronic communication allows us to consider new models of peer review, and new models may even support a more rigorous and objective review process.

5 We need sustainable economic models
Everyone is looking for a sustainable economic model. Whether SciELO, the Institute of Physics Publishing or the Science Association of Zimbabwe. Right now, very few will pay to read full text articles published electronically; where full text is offered free to the reader, the download rate can be very high indeed. The question of page and submission charges was aired. These are commonplace for print journals in the US and UK, but, although the scientific author may be the biggest immediate beneficiary of the publishing process, charges would create another barrier to scientific communication in resource-poor countries. Where scientific research is funded properly, the cost of publishing and dissemination should be included.

6 Collaboration and partnerships
There is great potential for different kinds of collaborations, partnerships and even sponsorships. The workshop produced several examples:

Even more ideas and plans were forthcoming in the final plenary session.

Nevertheless, it is important to share the characteristics of good, effective partnerships and the workshop has drafted the beginnings of a checklist of things to consider in this regard.

Conclusion

Many strategies to develop electronic publishing were discussed in the workshop, and an attempt has been made to incorporate these into the matrix. This has been done by focusing on those strategies that require particular attention at certain stages of development. These are not mutually exclusive.

Countries in segment (A) would concentrate on strategies to enable them to develop their own skills and technical capacity to undertake their own electronic publishing. Countries in segment (B) will be mainly concerned with strategies relating to sustainability, concentrating on maintaining the quality of their content and issues of cost-recovery.

Those in segment (C) will need to adopt strategies that will enable them to move to the right, in terms of connectivity, or up, by developing partnerships with agencies who could assist them to publish electronically. Those in (D) would concentrate on developing an electronic presence, which would require recognition of the value of publishing in this medium, and repackaging their research output for it.

The workshop set out to achieve a number of outcomes. There are several activities that will result directly from the workshop, some immediately, others over some time. The final report from the workshop will provide more details. [13] In summary, these are:

An overview of the current situation on electronic publishing in less developed countries – the workshop provided an excellent flavour of electronic publishing initiatives and models. The papers provide a detailed picture of some of these.

A statement to the World Science Conference – a draft has been submitted to UNESCO for consideration.

Guidelines for the development of electronic journal gateways - the SciELO, AJOL and EPT contents page/full-text models were highlighted. SciELO, the `Rolls Royce' version, may not be immediately replicable for all regions or countries.

However, the complementary roles of EPT and INASP's initiatives are recognised as valuable in themselves, and for the support that they can give to more isolated science journals. Good models are ready to be shared and extended, and from further experience with these it is possible that guidelines may be developed in future.

Use of electronic publishing

Low                                                    High

Dependency

 

·         Technical capacity

·         Skills

 

 

 

[A]

Self-sufficiency

 

·         Sustainability

·         Content

·         Quality

·         economics

 

[B]

Left behind

 

·         Connectivity

·         Partnership

 

 

 

 

[C]

Potential

 

·         Visibility

·         Communication

·         Behavioural aspects

·         Repackaging

 

 

[D]

 

Level of technical infrastructure

Low                                                                  High

 

Identification of research needed on behavioural aspects affecting scientific communication and the development of scientific publishing – issues to do with oral versus written cultural attitudes were raised, but the over-riding problems of access, connectivity infrastructure and skills development overlay the discussions in this area. Promulgation and addendum to guidelines on scientific publishing – any of the outputs of the workshop can be considered to supply this:

Development of guidelines on partnership – this has started and will be developed over the next six months.

Notes

1 Workshop held in Oxford, 10–12 May 1999.

2 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/

3 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.bellanet.org/gkaims/

4 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/icsu/ and http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/sfrl/projects/epub/standard.htm

5 Cetto, A. M. Democratic Approach to Electronic Publishing in a Non-democratic System. Paper presented at ICCC/IFIP Conference Electronic Publishing '99: Redefining the Information Chain – New Ways and Voices, Ronneby, Sweden, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www5.hk-r.se/ElPub99.nsf

6 Packer, A. L. The SciELO project for Latin America and Caribbean: Advances and Challenges of an Emerging Model for Electronic Publishing in Developing Countries. Paper presented at the Workshop 'Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May, 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/packer.html

7 Rosenberg, D. African Journals OnLine: Giving Journals Published in Africa a Presence on the Web. Paper presented at the Workshop 'Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/rosen.html

8 Kirsop, B. and Canhos, V. The Electronic Publishing Trust for Development (EPT): Putting Developing Country Journals Online. Paper presented at the Workshop `Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/kirsop.html

9 Bustos, A. EJB: Electronic Journal of Biotechnology: An Academic Experience with World-wide Visibility. Paper presented at the Workshop `Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/bustos.html

10 Haynes, J. New Journal of Physics: A Web-based and Author-funded Journal. Paper presented at the Workshop on 'Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/haynes.html

11 Hussein, J. Science Journals in Zimbabwe: Will Electronic Publishing Improve their Long-term Viability? Paper presented at the Workshop on `Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/hussein.html

12 Adam, L. Connectivity and Access for Scientific Communication and Publishing in Africa . Paper presented at Workshop on `Scientific Communication and Publishing in the Information Age', Oxford, May 1999 http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers/adam.html

13 The final report can be found at http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/report.html

Guidelines for funders – views from the workshop will provide an excellent starting point. Copies of the papers presented can be found at http://web.archive.org/web/20040603120050/http://www.inasp.info/psi/scpw/papers.html , or through Web-to-Email Access.

To use this system, the user simply sends an e-mail message addressed to one of the Web-to-Email servers around the world, leaving the subject line blank. In the body of the e-mail message the user simply types the URL (http://[. . .]). This service is free. Send a message to www4mail@web.bellanet.org , leave the subject blank, add a message saying:
Get <http://www.inasp.info/psi/index.html>.

Supplement to INASP Newsletter Issue 12, May 1999

This workshop was jointly organised by the British Council and INASP. Financial support has been received from the British Council, the Committee on Dissemination of Scientific Information (ICSU Press), INASP, Academic Press, Nature and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.