Will the Internet replace the print journal?

The fastest, most efficient and least expensive way for scientists to share research findings has shifted in the past decade from conferences and print journals to the Internet.

And most people who follow science communication agree that the day is coming when electronic publishing will be the main mode of disseminating research findings and data. But how and when will the transformation happen? Who will pay for it? And what will become of traditional print journals?

Some journals in the physics and medical communities already provide free, online access to peer-reviewed and nonpeer-reviewed preprint articles. And several groups have recently proposed the creation of free online databases for publishing all scientific research.

In particular, Harold Varmus, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), submitted a plan in May to create E-biomed, a system that would archive and distribute electronic versions of biomedical research articles--unedited and unreviewed manuscripts, as well as articles that have gone through the traditional peer-review system.

"The essential feature of the plan is simplified, instantaneous cost-free access by potential readers to E-biomed's entire content," writes Varmus in an online proposal for the system (www.nih.gov/welcome/director/ebiomed/ebiomed.htm). "The system we propose is intended to make knowledge and ideas in life sciences widely and freely accessible to the scientific community and the public, in the tradition of free public libraries."

His proposal has been greeted with praise from some within the scientific community and disdain by others, including scholars, publishers and scientific societies that have their own stake in print, as well as electronic, publishing.

Varmus is perceived as "naïve" in his proposal by many in scholarly publishing, says Susan Knapp, APA's senior director of publications. "He ignores the value of peer review in his proposal concerning draft manuscripts, and many professionals are concerned about how this material may be used. In addition, the idea that editorial boards and publishers will voluntarily--and for free--provide editing and peer review for articles submitted to E-biomed is not likely to be viable," says Knapp.

Such criticisms will be aired over the next several months as Varmus and his colleagues hold meetings on the idea of E-biomed and other forms of electronic publishing. They hope that their proposal will incite much needed public discussion of electronic publication.

--B. Azar



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