On demand printing: Take or you`re out!

[vidal garcia-huidobro pedro]

CHILEAN INSECTS WEB SITE http://vidal.med.puc.cl
WEB Page: http://vidal.med.puc.cl
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

Dear all:

On demand printing will be here, like or not, in a year or two. Just think
how much are the publishers going to save by not printing the journal but
YOU print yourself the two or three articles that may interest to your work.
There are already medical Journals already publishing both in paper and CD
format. This meant that many libraries and subscribers switched from paper
to the newer CD format, cheaper and easier. (Also faster, just remember
those memorable months between sending your paper to the Editor and actually
receiving your printed copy in the Journal!! )

There will always the risks of some people abusing the system, but is there
any human activity where did not happen ? Just think the WWW, and some of
our entomological friends, high ranked professors do not use it because "it
is too new, and probably will disappear soon". If you think that way, well,
you may ignore on demand publishing and eventually e-publications whenever
they arrive.


There is little point in arguing that we do not like but rather we should
start thinking how to keep track of what is been published and how the "peer
review" is going to be organized. I imagine The IZNC has already a group of
scientists "thinking" how to resolve these points. If they are not, they
should start now.

I totally agree with Dr Leal:
"Nonetheless, the fourth
edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1999,
effective from 1 January 2000), somewhat too briefly, rules (Article 8.8.6)
that "For a work produced after 1999 by a method other than printing on
paper to be accepted as published within the meaning of the Code, it must
contain a statement that copies (in the form in which it is published) have
been deposited in at least 5 major publicly accessible libraries libraries
which are identified by name in the work itself". On the other hand,
peer-review, on paper publications or otherwise, was never a requirement
from the standpoint of ICZN."


Regards,


Pedro Vidal MSc FRCS, MD
Amateur Entomologist
Universidad Catolica de Chile