electronic publication

[Tom Parker]

Neal Evenhuis wrote:
>
> On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Robert H. Cowie wrote:
>
> > Following my earlier posting regarding electronic publication of new
> > species, I came across the following interchange via the BUGNET list. Any
> > further thoughts?
>
> With regard to web-based journals and new species:
>
> The problem of web-based "publications" with regard to the ICZN Code is
> that they do not provide "multiple simultaneously obtainable copies". The
> web, as with Dissertation International, and a few other media sources,
> have products that are published on-demand rather than simultaneously
> available.
>
> CD-ROMs and other similar types of electronic media are only available
> when they are produced so as to be simultaneously available. Since they
> are not specifically mentioned in Art 9 (and they weren't considered when
> the 1985 code was written!), they are not excluded from being a validly
> published medium.
>
> Neal
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Neal L. Evenhuis, Chair              |
> Department of  Natural Sciences      |  voice mail:   (808) 848-4138
> Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St.      |  email:    neale at bishopmuseum.org
> Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-0916 USA      |  fax mail:     (808) 847-8252
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings:

I have no strong disagreement with the cautionary views on publishing
taxonomic descriptions of new species on the web.  However I am not sure
that "on demand" distribution and "multiple simultaneously obtainable
copies" are so unique to the paper publication/distribution system that
this method of data release can be used as the fence to separate web
publication from traditionally valid methods.

As I have experienced it, traditional scientific publication is
available "on demand" to subscribers and users of libraries that
subscribe.  "Multiple simultaneous obtainable copies" of traditional
publication are obtainable only to subscribers, borrowers of subscriber
material, and visitors to libraries that subscribe. This subscriber
based restriction of traditional publication has of course been recently
reinforced and strenghtened following the U.S. copyright lawsuit of
publishers (e.g. AAAS) against Texaco, Inc use of peer reviewed
technical literature.

All of,I am sure, have seen valid taxonomic description published only
in low circulation and "obscure" journals.  How obtainable are these?

Maybe the reluctance surrounding web based publishing is better laid at
the feet of uniform procedures for formal peer review, editorial
control, copyright ownership, followed by permanent archive repository
and access.

bye for now,


Thomas Parker
>tparker at lacsd.org>