The ICSU Press Programme on Electronic Publishing in Science

Abstract

Scientists rely on accurate, rapid and widely disseminated publication for the communication of the results of scientific investigation. ICSU Press was established to ensure that these needs were satisfied for all scientists regardless of discipline or geographical or political factors. With the development of the Internet, transmission of digitally stored texts and graphics added a new dimension to the process of scientific communication. This process is the subject of this chapter on electronic publishing. ICSU Press now provides an advisory service on publishing for the members of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). In 1993 the author proposed that a major study of electronic publishing should be carried out to identify issues of concern and to advise on future action for the benefit of science. Authors and publishers recognised that electronic publishing would materially affect the important role of editors in managing the publication process; and many of them thought there was a serious threat of a breakdown in the long established system of publication through scientific journals due to loss of revenue required to support the system. A preliminary study identified two issues requiring special attention before the intellectual property rights in the digitally stored texts of research results could be fully exploited.