mwsmevs Advances in Electronic Publishing Herald Changes for Scientists On-line journals, electronic libraries, on-demand printing represent advance wave of a publishing revolution that will enhance access to scientific information Stu Borman, C&EN Washington
T
he advent of ever more powerful computers and networks is ushering in changes in publishing that may rival those that occurred when 15th-century German inventor Johannes Gutenberg developed a way to print with movable type. This new publishing revolution is beginning to have a major impact on the way scientists obtain and report research information, promising to provide researchers with easy access to seemingly limitless information resources. The latest advances in electronic publishing include the increasing availability of on-line versions of scientific journals and magazines, the advent of electronic libraries containing a wide range of text- and graphics-based information resources, and the appearance of on-demand publishing systems that make huge collections of periodicals readily available or allow professors customize books for their classes. But as publishers, libraries, and academic institutions struggle to position themselves in this brave new world of information services, some controversial issues have arisen. For example, are the advantages of speedy electronic communications so great that they supersede the need for the peer review process, which, it is widely acknowledged, greatly slows the dissemination of research results? And in view of the difficulties libraries have in keeping up with the increasing cost and quantity of research journals, should universities consider publishing research results, therefore bypassing the "middleman" publishers? Only when questions like these work themselves out will the true dimen10
JUNE 14,1993 C&EN
cles and gives access to figures, tables, and references via hypertext, a mechanism that permits users to jump quickly On-line journals to related items. Automatic on-screen On-line journals have had a slow and alerts notify subscribers about any letters, rocky start, despite a widespread per- rebuttals, or retractions that relate to artiception that they are the wave of the fu- cles they select. The interface also proture. "For the first time in over 200 years, vides information-searching and hardthe paper scholarly journal can be sup- copy document ordering capabilities. planted, or at least supplemented in a The publication is accessed by using a significant way, by another medium, modem to dial into databases at OCLC and this may lead to a new type of or at the CompuServe on-line service, or scholarly discourse," says Ann Okerson, by accessing a password-protected file director of the office of scientific and ac- on the Internet, a large government- and ademic publishing at the Association of academia-based network. Research Libraries (ARL), Washington, At first, OJCCT got off to a very slow D.C. "An increasing number of scholars start: Perhaps because its concept and imagine the whole process of scholarly technology were so new, it did not atcommunication undergoing dramatic tract the number of submissions its dechange—becoming instant, global, inter- velopers had hoped for. This led AAAS active." to arrange a parallel publication agreeThe electronic scientific journal of the ment that gives OJCCT authors the opfuture is perhaps best represented today tion to have a short version of their paby the Online Journal of Cunent Clinical per considered for simultaneous print Trials, a peer-reviewed journal published publication in the prestigious British by the American Association for the Ad- weekly medical journal, the Lancet. vancement of Science (AAAS). OJCCT, Separate peer review is required for which started up in July 1992, was the each journal. The Lancet agreement offirst electronic journal to support graphs, fers the potential of increased visibility tables, illustrations, and mathematical for authors who take that option. The equations, in addition to high-quality first parallel-published document aptext. An advantage of the electronic for- peared in the Lancet last month. mat is that articles are published within The arrangement with the Lancet 48 hours of acceptance. has apparently been beneficial. "SubO/CCT subscribers with IBM PC- missions of manuscripts are increascompatible computers that run Mi- ing, and that's a very healthy sign for crosoft Windows can view the com- the journal," says Maria L. Lebron, plete text and graphics of articles in the managing editor of OJCCT. "Since the journal, using an attractive and sophis- beginning of the year, every month ticated graphical user interface called has brought in more manuscripts than Guidon, developed by the Online the previous month." But Lebron beComputer Library Center (OCLC), a lieves OJCCT will eventually be able database resource service for libraries, to stand on its own: "As authors, rebased in Dublin, Ohio. UNIX X-Win- viewers, editors, librarians, readers— dows and Macintosh versions of the in- everybody who's involved in the terface are planned for the near future. chain—become more educated about Guidon displays the full text of arti- what electronic, on-line publishing is sions of the electronic publishing revolution become clear.
Screen from CORE electronic library system at Cornell University provides glimpse of the future of electronic publishing. In this search, ACS journals were listed (center left), Journal of Organic Chemistry was selected, and contents page of an issue was viewed (lower left). Article on page 7212 was selected, first page was viewed (upper Hght), and figure was expanded to get a better look (lower Hght) about, as they become more at ease with it, you may not need this kind of arrangement/' One of the oldest and largest experiments in electronic delivery of chemical journals is the American Chemical Society's Chemical Journals Online (CJO), which started up in 1984. CJO includes the full text of 20 journals from ACS, seven from Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., 10 from John Wiley & Sons, 18 from the Royal Society of Chemistry, one from VCH Publishers (Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English), and one from the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. But CJO is a text-only database and thus lacks the figures, photos, tables, and formulas found in corresponding print versions of the journals. ACS's long-term plan is to add the missing el-
ements, resulting in a fully digitized file of the primary journals. An advantage of full digitization of text and graphics is that information could move easily to still other electronic formats. For example, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) or magnetic tape versions of the collection could be offered, in addition to the online and print versions. Another example of the new breed of electronic scholarly journal—albeit not a scientific one—is Postmodern Culture, which covers contemporary literature, theory, and culture. This peerreviewed journal, published by Oxford University Press, began publication in September 1990 and is distributed free of charge by electronic mail (e-mail) to more than 2500 subscribers in more than 40 countries.
When a new issue of the journal is ready, subscribers receive an e-mail message containing the masthead, table of contents, and abstracts. Subscribers can then request selected articles, or the entire issue. Articles can be read on-line or downloaded. The journal is also available, for a fee, on diskette and microfiche. According to Postmodern Culture coeditor John M. Unsworth, an English professor at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, an advantage of electronic publication is the potential it provides for reinventing peer review by making it practical for subscribers to volunteer their services as reviewers. If a paper submitted to Postmodern Culture is considered appropriate for the journal after an initial screening, says Unsworth, "a call for self-nominated peer reviewers is posted to all the jourJUNE 14,1993 C&EN
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Perhaps the most advanced on-line scientific journal today is the Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials, which uses a sophisticated graphical user interface. Shown (top to bottom) are the journal's cover screen, the first page of an article, and a figure nal's subscribers. Self-nominated re viewers are asked to detail their qualifi cations when they nominate themselves, and we try to select the best qualified readers. If a work receives at least two readers' recommendations for accep tance, it [is] edited for publication/' The electronic format may also pro vide benefits in terms of speed of pub lication, according to Unsworth. Few of the essays Postmodern Culture publishes are more than six months old, he says, whereas "it is routine in my field for a
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lHE BLESSED BÀMOZEL. Blessed Bawozel, 1856, p. 713 THE blessed Daeozel lean'd ont Pro» the gold fcar of Heaven; Her eyes knew «ore of rest and shade "fha» Maters s t i l l * d at e¥ea; bîcssed DwmsxA fe»f*e*t She had three l i l i e s in her hand, Ber ej-csto**»»*MP» β* ****> «ad dtafe; And the stars i s her hair were seven. §§/stanzaxstanza> Xiao wrteraOTfl'da6 e JUS? loemVl Ae ecar«ciad îiaen s à*$ Gae of God's choristers ;«/!> One *f God** «tatters $ The wonder was not yet qnite gone Fro» that s t i l l look of hers; Iks* tfcwtt *£B feek effc«rm Mheit» t o the» she l e f t , her day AJbeH»fe>U**** i¥e kft,fcisrday : Had counted as ten years. B*i W*J iited as tea year*. THE BLESSED IMMOZEL.
Screens from University of Virginia's Electronic Text Center show how an advanced electronic library can bung together text and graphics from a wide range of sources. Although this system covers the humanities, the potential capabilities of such a system in the science area are evident. Above figure shows hypermedia edition of the works of English painter and poet Dante GabHel Rossetti currently being prepared by English professor Jerome McGann, a fellow at the university's Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities.
period of two years to elapse between the time an essay is written and the time it is published in a print journal." He attributes this increased speed of publication to several factors. "I'd estimate that the average essay published in Postmodern Culture requires about 20 separate acts of communication, beginning with the submission of the essay and including all the reviewing, revising, [and] proofing," he says. "If each of these takes a day [by e-mail] instead of several days or a week, there's a savings of several months just in mailing time." Other factors he cites include the faster response time of self-selected reviewers and the absence of a time-consuming typesetting process. 14
JUNE 14,1993 C&EN
Electronic distribution also allows Postmodern Culture's editors to keep track of how many times each paper is requested by subscribers. This, and the reviewer self-selection process, can provide valuable feedback to the editors about the popularity of specific topics and authors. "When one essay announced for review prompts 20 people to offer to review it, and another essay gets only one or two offers, we have an idea of what our audience is interested in reading," says Unsworth. On the other hand, he says, the concept of electronic publication often raises troubling questions among authors that can deter manuscript submissions: • If the journal never appears on a
library shelf, will anyone ever see the work? • If work is published electronically, will people be likely to steal it or tamper with it? • Can electronic publications be protected by copyright? • How can an electronic publication be cited? • How are graphics handled? • And will this type of publication count for tenure? In response, Unsworth replies that electronic journals can have audiences at least as large as their print counterparts. Ethical rather than practical constraints are often most important in deterring theft of intellectual property, he
|of the diocese, And knew their ways, and counsels, to a thread. He had a garland set upon his head, Large as an alehouse sign hung on a stake. | A buckler had he made him of a cake. |With him there rode a courteous Pardoner !Of Rounceval, his friend and his compeer; Who had arrived straight from the Roman See. |Full loud he sung Come hither,love, to me! ;iOur Sompnour's voice bore a ^Qburden round; iNo trombone ever had so great a sound. Iris?
its JjStartj Previous Pagej Next Page! .Endf bourdon2, burdoun (bUfrdQn). Also 4 bor-, burdoun, -don, 5 burdown. [a. Fr. bourdon the continuous bass or 'drone* of the bagpipe, the bass string of a violin, etc., also a drone bee, - Sp. bordon, Pg. borda~o} Ital. bordone, med.L. burdo drone: possibly an imitative word: cf. the Celtic stem durd-, dord-, noise, sound. (A conjecture that the bass-pipe of an organ, or drone of a bag-pipe may have been so called from its resemblance to a staff, BOURDON 1, is not supported by the history.)] 1. The low undersong or accompaniment, which was sung while the leading voice sang a melody. For the continuation of this sense see BURDEN, in which word it has been completely merged. C1386 CHAUCER ProL 673 This Somonour bar to hym a stif ifflffiffffflrvr bordoun], Was neuere trompe of half so greet a soun. CHAUCER Reeves T. 245 His wyf bar him a burdon [v.r. burdoun], a ful strong. C. 1400 Epiph. 1918 (Turnb. 1843) They yeve a full delectabull sond Bothe trebull and meyne and burdown. 1596 SPENSER Astroph., Aegl. 77 Wolues do howle and barke, And seem to beare a bourdon to their plaint. 2. a. A bass stop in an organ, usually of 16ft. tone; a similar stop in a harmonium; also the drone of a bagpipe. Also attrib., as in
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In daunger hadde he at his owene gise The yonge girles of the diocise, And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed. A gerland hadde he set upon his heed As greet as it were for an ale-stake. A bokeleer hadde he maad hym of a cake. With hym ther rood a gentil pardoner Of rouncivale, his freend and his compeer, That streight was comen fro the court of ron Ful loude he soong com hider, love, to me! This somonour bar to hym a stif MSBiWfll Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun. This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex, But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex; By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde, And therwith he his shuldres overspradde; But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon. But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon, For it was trussed up in his walet Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet; Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare. Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.
J S t a r t | Previous Page{ Hext Page] ίEnd!
Shown (opposite page) are text of poem "The Blessed Oamozel" (bottom center), punted version from magazine published in 1856 (bottom left), sole surviving manuscript of the poem (top left), separate study for the DamozeVs head (top center), and Rossetti's painting of The Blessed Damozel (bottom right). In above figure, a search of the "Canterbury Tales" for the phrase "stif burdoun" turns up entry from Oxford English Dictionary (bottom left), Middle English manuscript version of the poem (top center), modern English translation (top right), typeset Middle English edition (bottom right), and images (top left and bottom center) from the manuscript
says, and copyright is no more difficult of the peer review process and not a work. C&EN Online, as the service is to establish for electronic text than for question of the medium in which that called, includes articles from 1991 to print publications. Guidelines for cita work is distributed." the present, and is updated weekly. Ar tion of electronic publications are cur As electronic publication becomes ticles from current editions are avail rently being developed, with some ad more sophisticated, he says, "it is more able on-line on Monday of each week, hoc conventions already in use. than likely that many print-based ideas the day the print publication is issued, Graphics can be presented as well as about text will gradually drop away. making the on-line version available or better than in print. For example, 'Journals' with 'issues' containing 'arti more quickly than the print edition to says Unsworth, "Consider the possibil cles' may be replaced with electronic many subscribers. The database, which ities for integrating animated graphics, archives containing huge databases, is text only (no photos or illustrations), film clips, and sound into electronically navigable along an incalculable num is searchable for any word or phrase, or published articles/' And on the ques ber of search paths in the information by title or author. tion of professional credit, Unsworth equivalent of multidimensional space." Another publication available in an notes, "When universities get around Scientific magazines are also moving electronic version is the science news to formally addressing this issue, there increasingly toward the on-line format. paper the Scientist. Publisher and edi can be only one logically supportable For example, Chemical & Engineeringtor-in-chief Eugene Garfield believes position—namely that the legitimacy News is now available on the STN In free on-line publication makes the Sci and value of a publication is a matter ternational scientific and technical net entist available to subscribers on a more JUNE 14,1993 C&EN 15
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Developers of Cornell University's C01 Τ electronic library system are experimenting with vanous user interface Î. Shown are a bitmapped page image (above) and two types 'reconstructed" of pages (at Hght) timely basis, without cutting signifi formation resources, and cantly into the subscription base. The other topics. To subscribe on-line version is text only, without the to the review, send the photos and other graphics that normal e-mail message subscribe ly adorn the publication. Issues going pacs-p first-name lastback to November 1992 are available, name to listserv@uhupvml and new issues become available (on Bitnet) or listserv®around the time of each publication uhupvml.uh.edu (on the date; the Scientist is issued every two Internet). weeks, on Mondays. The electronic format Individuals with an Internet connec may also offer significant tion can access the publication using a advantages as a medium procedure called FTP (file transfer proto for scientific conferences. Among the adcol). One logs onto the Internet by enter vantages of on-line conferencing, coming the command ftp ds.internic.net pared with conventional meetings, are When the "name" prompt appears, zero travel expenses, the possibility for anonymous should be entered, and at more extensive discussion and feedback the "password" prompt one's Internet between presenters and other particiaddress should be typed in. When the pants, and the ability to share data, next prompt appears, cd pub/the-scien- computer programs, graphics, and text tist should be entered, then dir to get a electronically. Disadvantages of such a listing of files in the directory. To down conference include the lack of any opload the issue dated June 14, 1993, one portunity for travel or for face-to-face soenters get the-scientist-930614, and like cializing. wise for other issues in the database. The A computer conference on "Applicasession is ended by entering quit at the tions of Technology in Teaching Chemprompt. istry," organized by the ACS Division There's even an on-line journal about of Chemical Education, is being held on-line journals and related topics: the this week through Aug. 20 on the InterPublic-Access Computer Systems Review, net. Participants can read and respond published by the University of Houston to the papers and communicate with Libraries and distributed free on Internet. presenters in an interactive manner. The review covers campuswide informa tion systems, CD-ROM-based local area Electronic libraries Another new way to make scientific networks, document delivery systems, electronic publishing, hypermedia and information available by computer is multimedia systems, network-based in- the electronic library, which provides 16
JUNE 14,1993 C&EN
the text and graphics of books, journals, and other print resources to a university or other institution over a local area network. The ability of electronic libraries to bring together text and graphics from a variety of sources is exemplified in the Electronic Text Center, an on-line collection of scholarly texts at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. The center's on-line humanities collection includes the Oxford English Dictionary, a wide range of Old English writings, several versions of Shakespeare's works, the complete works of 1350 English poets, and hundreds of other literary, social, historical, philosophical, and political materials in various languages. The data are stored on large-capacity magnetic disk drives. Dedicated computers in the library and elsewhere on campus can search and view all materials, including color images of manuscript pages. A text-only version of the database can also be viewed over a lo-
LIMS Tragedy? — 7 WAYS TO AVOID AN AUTOMATION ACCIDENT—
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# 1 Buy a LIMS for the Right Reasons A LIMS is a powerful system for logging and tracking laboratory samples and for stor ing, retrieving, sorting, and reporting test results that can: • increase productivity, speed, and sample load; • improve sample tracking; • centralize and consolidate records; • ease compliance with ISO and GLP regulatory requirements; • automate data collection; and • manage worklists, plans, and labora tory operations. A LIMS cannot, however, correct funda mental laboratory organization or personnel problems. # 2 Pick the Right Partner A LIMS is not just a piece of software; once installed, it becomes an essential part of a laboratory's operations. The LIMS com pany becomes, de facto, the lab's partner for many years to come. Prudent laboratory managers, therefore, will want to choose a LIMS vendor that is dedicated to LIMS and which has a large installed base. The avail ability of post-installation communication — through telephone support, electronic bulletin boards, and user groups — provides important components of a continuing part nership. # 3 Check Independent Evaluations One sure test of a LIMS is: "What do users have to say about it?" Secondly, how do independent industry analysts view the LIMS vendor, the satisfaction level of its custom ers, and its products? The answers are criti cal to the confidence a laboratory should have in a LIMS and the company that backs it. # 4 Choose Proven Technology A high-throughput laboratory cannot af ford to experiment with LIMS technology
that may perform inconsistently or unpre dictably. Choose a LIMS built to deliver robust and proven technology. The system should be based on extensive lab experience and well-tested software innovation, incor porating depth of functionality, flexibility to change as the laboratory does, regular up dates, and a smooth growth path. # 5 Stay with Standards In a LIMS, laboratory managers want power and reliability. A standard, commer cially available relational database, tuned for the application, offers both. In addition, a commercial database offers a clear path to the future, eliminating uncertainty because it's backed by millions of dollars in research and development, regular updates, and a user support staff. # 6 Select Configurability Over Customization A lab should not have to change its opera tions to accommodate the way a LIMS works, yet few labs want the headaches of maintain ing and documenting a custom-built LIMS. There is, however, a middle ground: a LIMS that is configurable can be readily adapted to the lab's application, without the risk and expense inherent in custom programming. # 7 Apply Litmus Tests for Ease of Use Almost all LIMS claim ease of use; none claim to be hard to use. The following are a couple of simple tests. Can the LIMS make commonly selected choices readily avail able through pop-up lists? Are both Win dows and DOS interfaces available to those who want them on the same system? Can reports be printed automatically at pre-set times? Is there a seamless interface to thirdparty software such as spreadsheets and word processors?
Choose Triumph over Tragedy! The above criteria are met by Laboratory MicroSystems, Inc., the author of Lab Vantage, the bestselling PC-based LIMS in the world. LabVantage has been selected in more than 1,000 laboratories in 12 coun tries, representing 40 different industries. LabVantage was selected by readers of Scientific Computing & Automation maga zine to receive a Readers' Choice Award, based on value-for-price, technical support, ease of use, overall quality, and reliability. In addition, Laboratory MicroSystems was ranked #1 overall by LIMS users in a report on world LIMS manufacturers published by Stra tegic Directions International, Inc., an independent man SCIEiWHIC COMPUTING agement consulting firm. Laboratory MicroSystems ranked first in 13 of 19 catego ries including long-term commitment, ease of use, track record, price/operating cost, and training. LabVantage can be configured in thou sands of ways to fit your laboratory's work flow, without custom programming and with out hassles. For additional information, call Labora tory MicroSystems, Inc. or return the coupon below.
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cal area network using desk- database is constructed with the same top computers. Because of composition data used to publish the contractual and copyright print-on-paper versions of the journals, considerations, access to the thus minimizing the labor needed to system is restricted to uni- create it and keep it current. versity students, faculty, and The CORE development team is curstaff. rently evaluating four user interfaces, The center makes an ex- based on two basic approaches. The traordinarily wide range of first approach consists of "reconstructinformation available elec- ed" pages that combine text with sepatronically—information that rate scanned graphics images, a format would normally need to be that does not preserve the appearance sought laboriously from far- of the original journal page. The second flung original sources. The approach involves optically scanned system is "seeing increasing- (bitmapped) images of pages that look ly heavy use" since its start- like the original journal pages and can up in August 1992, says Da- be displayed on a terminal or printed vid Seaman, coordinator of out. Both formats provide comprehenthe Electronic Text Center, sive search and retrieval capabilities— who hopes it will eventually the first directly, the second using an become "a mainstream part underlying level of searchable text. of the teaching and research The CORE project is studying a resources on which our fac- number of important issues about eleculty and students draw." tronic libraries, the most basic of which An analogous system in is whether electronic delivery provides the scientific arena is the significant advantages over convenChemistry Online Retrieval tional print on paper. Other issues inExperiment (CORE), a proto- clude the following: type electronic library of 20 • Which is best—searching full text ACS journals that is dissemi- or searching on controlled, predefined nated over Cornell Universi- index terms? ty's local area network. The • What kind of interface best suits project is a collaboration user needs? among four participants— • Which is more preferred by usACS and its Chemical Ab- ers—reformatted information, or bitstracts Service division; Bell mapped page images? Communications Research • What is the economic value of the (Bellcore, the research arm of information made available on an electhe regional telephone tronic library, and how should users be operating companies), charged for it? Morristown, N.J.; CorAnother major electronic library is nell University's Mann Red Sage, a collaborative project of the Library; and OCLC. University of California, San Francisco; The CORE system en- Springer-Verlag New York; and AT&T ables students and facul- Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, N.J. The ty at Cornell to search a system is scheduled to go into service database that will even- at UCSF this summer. tually include more than Red Sage will make it possible for 10 years' worth of issues UCSF students and faculty to search, of 20 chemical journals read, and print full-page images of sciand information from entific articles, including graphics. The scientific reference texts. journal collection will consist of 20 Users can electronically Springer-Verlag journals in molecular retrieve articles, com- biology and another 20 in radiology. plete with illustrations, The Red Sage database is constructtables, mathematical for- ed by scanning journals to obtain bitmulas, and chemical mapped page images for display and Red Sage electronic library system at the University of structures. They can also printing. Optical character recognition California, San Francisco, includes collections of radiology switch to articles on re- of the bitmaps is used to generate and molecular biology journals. Sequence (top to bottom) lated topics, or to refer- searchable text. shows array of journal covers, contents page from journal enced articles, using hyThe user interface is RightPages, an issue, and first page and figure from selected article pertext-type links. The electronic document browsing and 18
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Worker customizes book using McGraw-Hill's Pnmis publishing system alerting system developed by Bell Labs. Upon logging onto the system, users see an array of journal covers. Current or back issues of each journal are selected using a mouse, and the table of contents of the selected journal is displayed. Articles can be viewed on-screen or printed out. The system has a "hyper-paper/, feature that enables a user to point to a figure citation in the text and immediately see the page the figure appears on. It also has the capability to alert users about newly published articles on topics in which they've registered an interest. "The success of a system like this is going to depend to some degree on breadth of coverage," says Bell Labs technical staff member Guy A. Story. "Springer-Verlag has been talking with other publishers about getting content to fill out the areas of molecular biology and radiology." Plans are also afoot to extend Red Sage to additional campuses in the UC system and elsewhere in the U.S. CORE and Red Sage are similar systems, but there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. A potential disadvantage of Red Sage is that the use of bitmapped page images r e stricts the electronic presentation to the same format as the print journal, whereas CORE images can be manipulated in various ways. Text generated by applying optical character recognition to bitmapped data can also incorporate spelling errors that impede searching. But page images could prove to be the optimal form of presentation from the user's point of View, anyway. A disadvantage of CORE is that it's an expensive type of system to develop
and implement. Even after the testing period, CORE may eventually allow users a choice between two or more user interfaces. This provides greater versatility, but increases complexity. Another experimental electronic library project is TULIP (The University Licensing Program), a project of Elsevier Science Publishers. TULIP is a database of 42 Elsevier-published materials science journals. Researchers at 17 participating universities, including nine campuses of the UC system, can access these journals over local area networks and print journal pages or articles on demand. For those journals to which a university has a print subscription, the system provides access to bitmapped page images (for viewing), full-text files (for searching), and bibliographic files. For those journals to which the university doesn't subscribe, the bibliographic information is provided, but not the page images or full text, except on a pay-per-use basis. Each participating university provides its own interface and search system, an arrangement that provides for optimal integration with existing networks on each campus. Elsevier is using the project to evaluate the economics as well as the technology of electronic information delivery. TULIP may later be extended to other universities and additional journals may eventually be added to the 42 currently on the system.
On-demand printing An electronic publishing concept that is somewhat different from the electronic library is the electronic delivery of ar-
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NEWS FOCUS tides or books on demand, but the dis tinction is not a rigid one. Electronic li braries can incorporate on-demand printing simply by charging for print outs, as the TULIP system does for nonsubscription publications. On the other hand, on-demand printing systems may also serve as electronic libraries. One venture that probably gravitates more toward the on-demand printing concept is an ongoing cooperative project between Carnegie Mellon Uni versity and University Microfilms In ternational (UMI) that makes journal information available over Carnegie Mellon's local area network. The collec tion consists of about 800 business, so cial sciences, humanities, and science and technology journals, with an addi tional 2300 journals available only in abstract and index format. The infor mation is stored on four "jukeboxes" of 240 CD-ROMs each, for a total of near ly 1000 CD-ROMs. Carnegie Mellon faculty, students, and staff currently can order articles from their computer terminals. Orders
BREAK
are sent to the jukebox, and the articles are printed at a central location. But plans are to "move those images back to the terminals and back to remote print ing and individual user workstations," says Dan Arbour, vice president of ad vanced technology products at UMI. Fees are collected from users for the articles ordered. In addition, the system tracks all transaction information to sat isfy publishers' royalty and copyright re quirements. "We have electronic rights with well over 1000 publishers, growing to 2000, on an individual basis," says Ar bour. 'UMI historically has been in the optical publishing business, from the standpoint of optically distributing in formation on miCTofilm. So we've been working with publishers to move those rights into the electronic arena." Are there any plans to extend the system to other schools or organiza tions? "Absolutely," replies Arbour. "We have eight other customers that we're working with right now nation wide to have this system beta-tested and finalized. We'll be rolling it out
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this summer to other schools and insti tutions, and corporations as well." A similar on-demand publishing sys tem is the Adonis system in the U.K., which stores bitmapped page images of several hundred biomedical and life sci ences journals on CD-ROMs. Journals are scanned into the system as soon as they are published, and the CD-ROMs are then distributed to Adonis customer sites. The charging mechanism involves an annual subscription price and royal ties for articles that are printed out. Another successful on-demand pub lishing system is McGraw-Hill's Primis. This system enables college pro fessors to create customized textbooks, using resource materials contained in an electronic database. The database in cludes standard textbooks, supple ments, teaching guides, journal and magazine articles, speeches, and case studies published by McGraw-Hill and other publishers. Customized texts are put together and paginated according to a profes sor's instructions. Original course ma-
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It remains to be seen whether nonpeer-reviewed electronic journals will gain in popularity or prove to be a tem[xycode-(qentitl1)l porary blip on the electronic horizon. (PAGEBRK yPAGENUM="25"1 Lepkowski, W J 1 < / A U N A M É K / A U L I S T I and corporate libraries, and there are (ÂTTTfÊynfPÂRÂ^ many financial strains on this system [xycode-fgentextDl right now. The number of individual The information superhighway with its electronic infrastructure is so and library subscriptions for estabpowerful a vision that it forms the core of the Clinton Administration lished journals has been dropping technology policy.(1FJ5ST>Information< /INDEXI Information, ίKEYWORD >Information
