6.0056 Rs: E-Publishing and Remuneration (2/79)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Thu, 4 Jun 1992 16:00:53 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0056. Thursday, 4 Jun 1992.
(1) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 92 14:43 EST (57 lines)
From: "George Fowler h(317)571-9471 o(812)855-2829"
Subject: RE: 6.0049 E-Publishing and Remuneration
(2) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1992 16:17 EDT (22 lines)
From: CETH@zodiac.rutgers.edu
Subject: Re: 6.0049 E-Publishing and Remuneration
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 92 14:43 EST
From: "George Fowler h(317)571-9471 o(812)855-2829"
Subject: RE: 6.0049 E-Publishing and Remuneration (1/68)
Responding to R. Scott deLahunta's 6/2/92 posting about E-distribution
of scholarly literature via a voucher system.
It seems to me that the major problem with such a distribution
system (and some similar system will surely be the norm within 20
years, displacing our current system of paper publication and
distribution) involves system compatibility. I use a Mcintosh SE/30,
Word 4.0, MacDraw II, and so forth. Will files from Linguistic Inquiry
view right on my screen? What about my colleague who uses some kind
of PC, I don't know what graphics support, with Nota Bene--can he view
the same file? The problem cuts multiple ways. A publisher can't
reasonably provide files in all imaginable formats, but until he can
be reasonably sure of universal distribution, why would he commit to
E-distribution instead of paper, which at least nearly everybody can
read? And there are very good reasons for various different and
non-compatible computer systems, and I for one am not willing to switch
to the PC type, Windows or no Windows.
The suggestion is reminiscent of the way ISI used to provide
photocopies via Current Contents (and presumably still does). Current
Contents, at the time I was using it (more than 15 years ago!) came out
in various fields (physical sciences, biological sciences, medicine, I
don't remember exactly), publishing the contents pages of current
journals. Each article had an ordering number, and scholars were
encouraged to mark up the issue, send it back, and receive in short
order photocopies of the marked articles. ISI had a licensing arrangement
with the various publishers, paying royalties per the number of
copies provided. As I recall, it was quite pricey, but since the offprints
were intended to be covered by grant funds, that probably wasn't a big
issue to most customers.
One could imagine an on-line E-Current Contents (maybe this exists
today?), wherein one could search for keywords, author's name, and the
like, and request via E-mail desired articles. E-Current Contents could
index both paper and E-versions of papers, specifying further the
available E-formats (e.g., Postscript file for direct printing, word
processor and/or layout formats, ASCII for certain simple documents,
graphics formats for diagrams and illustrations, and so forth), enabling
the user to request material in the most appropriate format. It could
of course also be used as an index to library materials at the user's
home university for those who couldn't afford the page costs of ordering
copies or E-versions.
Other payment alternatives also suggest themselves. People with
grant money already have local university account numbers that could be
provided through a kind of E-purchase order. Others (most of us
Humanities types) could establish university accounts with our own
money. In fact, these accounts could run a deficit and be deducted from
the next paycheck! Which could lead to some unpleasant surprises when
we all get carried away the first month or two! :-)
George Fowler GFowler@IUBACS.Bitnet
Dept. of Slavic Languages GFowler@UCS.Indiana.EDU
Indiana University (812) 855-2829 [office]
Ballantine 502 (812) 855-2624 [dept.]
Bloomington, IN 47405 USA (317) 571-9471 [home]
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------33----
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1992 16:17 EDT
From: CETH@zodiac.rutgers.edu
Subject: Re: 6.0049 E-Publishing and Remuneration (1/68)
If I understand Scott deLahunta's proposal (to enable interested
individuals to order articles from electronic journals online, rather
than subscribing to the whole journal) correctly, a system of
payment for electronic (or fax, or mail) delivery has already been
devised. It has been possible to order articles from major database
holders (e.g. DIALOG, RLG, and CARL Uncover) for some time now,
simply by providing credit card information, electronically. I am sure
the same could be done for journal articles provided in electronic
format rather than by fax or regular mail. This excludes people who are
not credit card holders, however. A voucher system as Scott deLahunta
describes seems a good idea.
Annelies Hoogcarspel
Center for Electronic Texts phone: (908) 932-1384
in the Humanities fax: (908) 932-1386
169 College Avenue bitnet: ceth@zodiac
New Brunswick, NJ 08903 internet: ceth@zodiac.rutgers.edu