Re: publishing on the web

[Gertsch <lgertsch@slate.Mines.EDU>]

On Wed, 15 Nov 1995 Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 95-11-15 15:19:27 EST, swf@ElSegundoCA.ATTGIS.COM (Stan
> Friesen) writes:
> 
> >In fact printing a set of Web pages is genrally much cheaper than
> >subscribing to a journal!  It may even be cheaper than photocopying
> >an article out of a journal (which is a closer equivalent).
> >
> >
> 
> This is indeed the case if you save the text in a file and print it offline
> when your computer is idle.
> 
The technical journals that currently offer online versions charge more 
for those than for their print versions (check with the nearest technical 
librarian - the $$$ is astounding!).  Of course this is something 
different than privately-supported Web pages, and possibly skewed 
somewhat due to traditional mindset.  But the recovery of the real costs of 
electronic publishing is still a very cloudy area.  I suspect that online 
journals eventually will settle out somewhere between free and present 
astronomical prices.

Editorial oversight and peer-review are important to the rigor and 
continuity of the scientific effort.  These contribute to the cost of 
technical journals and to the reluctance of many researchers to publish 
in forums that may be perceived as casual.  

Just some thoughts for discussion.

Leslie Gertsch
Research Assistant Professor
Colorado School of Mines