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A TRULY ALL-ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION SYSTEM (AN EXAMPLE)
Zoltan Nadasdy
Rutgers University

I propose a new model for publishing on the Internet, one that takes advantage of the two-way communication possibilities it affords. I call it "Interactive Publishing." Here is how it works:

  • Instead of layout designers, we make use of an automated-formatting software that converts simple ASCII documents into HTML.
  • The system supports graphical illustrations and automatically inserts them into the text. Hypertext is also inserted into the articles.
  • Instead of a hidebound peer-review system, we use an interactive "vote," in which those with comments and suggestions post them along with the article.
  • Instead of a lengthy discussion carried out over a period of months and years as letters are submitted to journals and await publication, we allow anyone to post letters, and allow authors to answer them immediately.

As a model, I have developed the Electronic Journal of Cognitive and Brain Sciences (EJCBS) <http://osiris.rutgers.edu/~zoli/ejcbs.html>, an e-journal that works without editors. A journal that supports immediate publication seems to be an obvious solution to the time frustrations of publishing in science. The system I designed to do this is simple: It creates a Web page for each document automatically. The software engine behind the EJCBS is
a compiler that automatically converts the text and image files to HTML.

Those features can be speed of publication, low cost, interactivity, broad distribution, and innovative quality control. Those features are all integrated into the system I call "interactive publishing."  Interactive publishing, especially in the areas of science allows for bi-directional and rapid communication of ideas, which could bring global changes in the way people understand political, business and scientific concepts. The impact of interactive publishing could be enormous. It redefines concepts of traditional publishing, such as editing, acceptance, reviews and comments, and archives.

In contrast with paper journals EJCBS accepts articles for publication before review. To create and maintain standards, EJCBS uses a two-tier acceptance procedure that makes reviewing automatic and allows readers to control final acceptance: review status and archive status. Papers in review status are evaluated by the readers. There is a weight system controls the score given by different reader categories. The scores are transferred to a database that will be averaged at the end of a month and the final status of the paper will be decided accordingly. Articles that receive certain average score or higher, are transferred to an archive of accepted papers. Those papers that do not receive the minimal average scores are rejected. The archive is expected to evolve slowly under the readers' opinions and control. The challenge of whether we can exploit the potential of electronic publishing to create an autonomous system that would be able to control itself based on reasonable rules leads us far beyond the question of the technical implementation. It is the question of how can an electronic media facilitate scientific discourse and support the evolution of ideas similar to the natural selection.