Electronic publishing
Encyclopedia
Electronic publishing or ePublishing includes the digital publication of e-book
s and electronic article
s, and the development of digital libraries
and catalogues. Electronic publishing has become common in scientific publishing where it has been argued that peer-reviewed scientific journal
s are in the process of being replaced by electronic publishing. Although distribution via the Internet (also known as online publishing or web publishing when in the form of a website
) is nowadays strongly associated with electronic publishing, there are many non network electronic publications such as Encyclopedias on CD and DVD, as well as technical and reference publications relied on by mobile users and others without reliable and high speed access to a network.
After an article is submitted to a journal for consideration, there can be a delay ranging from several months to more than two years before it is published in a journal, rendering journals a less than ideal format for disseminating current research. In some fields such as astronomy
and some parts of physics
, the role of the journal in disseminating the latest research has largely been replaced by preprint
repositories such as arXiv.org. However, scholarly journals still play an important role in quality control and establishing scientific credit. In many instances, the electronic materials uploaded to preprint repositories are still intended for eventual publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
There is statistical evidence that electronic publishing provides wider dissemination.
A number of journals have, while retaining their peer review process, established electronic versions or even moved entirely to electronic publication.
Electronic publishing is increasingly popular in works of fiction as well as with scientific articles. Electronic publishers are able to provide quick gratification for late-night readers, books that customers might not be able to find in standard book retailers (erotica is especially popular in eBook format), and books by new authors that would be unlikely to be profitable for traditional publishers.
While the term "electronic publishing" is primarily used today to refer to the current offerings of online and web-based publishers, the term has a history of being used to describe the development of new forms of production, distribution, and user interaction in regard to computer-based production of text and other interactive media.
New media:
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
s and electronic article
Electronic article
Electronic articles are articles in scholarly journals or magazines that can be accessed via electronic transmission. They are a specialized form of electronic document, with a specialized content, purpose, format, metadata, and availability–they consist of individual articles from scholarly...
s, and the development of digital libraries
Digital library
A digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks...
and catalogues. Electronic publishing has become common in scientific publishing where it has been argued that peer-reviewed scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
s are in the process of being replaced by electronic publishing. Although distribution via the Internet (also known as online publishing or web publishing when in the form of a website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
) is nowadays strongly associated with electronic publishing, there are many non network electronic publications such as Encyclopedias on CD and DVD, as well as technical and reference publications relied on by mobile users and others without reliable and high speed access to a network.
After an article is submitted to a journal for consideration, there can be a delay ranging from several months to more than two years before it is published in a journal, rendering journals a less than ideal format for disseminating current research. In some fields such as astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and some parts of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, the role of the journal in disseminating the latest research has largely been replaced by preprint
Preprint
A preprint is a draft of a scientific paper that has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.-Role:Publication of manuscripts in a peer-reviewed journal often takes weeks, months or even years from the time of initial submission, because manuscripts must undergo extensive...
repositories such as arXiv.org. However, scholarly journals still play an important role in quality control and establishing scientific credit. In many instances, the electronic materials uploaded to preprint repositories are still intended for eventual publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
There is statistical evidence that electronic publishing provides wider dissemination.
A number of journals have, while retaining their peer review process, established electronic versions or even moved entirely to electronic publication.
Electronic publishing is increasingly popular in works of fiction as well as with scientific articles. Electronic publishers are able to provide quick gratification for late-night readers, books that customers might not be able to find in standard book retailers (erotica is especially popular in eBook format), and books by new authors that would be unlikely to be profitable for traditional publishers.
While the term "electronic publishing" is primarily used today to refer to the current offerings of online and web-based publishers, the term has a history of being used to describe the development of new forms of production, distribution, and user interaction in regard to computer-based production of text and other interactive media.
Examples
Electronic versions of traditional media:- CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
- E-bookE-bookAn electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
- Electronic journalElectronic journalElectronic journals, also known as ejournals, e-journals, and electronic serials, are scholarly journals or intellectual magazines that can be accessed via electronic transmission. In practice, this means that they are usually published on the Web...
- Online newspaperOnline newspaperAn online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
- Online magazineOnline magazineAn online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
New media:
- File sharingFile sharingFile sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
- PodcastPodcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
- Collaborative softwareCollaborative softwareCollaborative software is computer software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve goals...
- BlogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
Business models
- Online advertisingOnline advertisingOnline advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web to deliver marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of online advertising include contextual ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, blogs, Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, interstitial...
- Open access (publishing)
- Pay-Per-View
- Print on demandPrint on demandPrint on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
- Subscriptions
- Self-publishingSelf-publishingSelf-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
- Non-Subsidy Publishing
Technology vendors
- Eastgate SystemsEastgate SystemsEastgate Systems is a publisher and software company headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, which publishes hypertexts by established authors with careers in print as well as by talented new authors...
- eMeta Corporation
- InformITInformITInformIT, a subsidiary of Pearson Education, is an online book vendor and an electronic publisher of technology and education content.InformIT.com is one of three flagship web sites of the Information Technology-focused Pearson Technology Group publishing imprints, and one of several sites in the...
- IngentaIngentaFounded in 1998, Ingenta provided technology and associated services to the publishing and information industries. Its software enables scholarly, financial and business publishers to make content available to online institutional and individual end users, under a variety of business models.In...
- MygazinesMygazinesMygazines is a provider.The company's system converts a PDF into a page-flipping digital edition, with the option to enhance with links, videos and other features. The backend allows content owners to distribute, secure, monetize and track publications...
- Safari Books OnlineSafari Books OnlineSafari Books Online LLC is a digital library founded in July 2001 and headquartered in Sebastopol, CA with offices in Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA...