| Electronic publishing holds the potential to alter scientific communication radically, although this transition is only in its earliest stages. Because of this, the current moment presents an opportunity to study the process of transformation as it unfolds from the viewpoints of early participants. This study investigated three research questions about how authors, editors, and readers of two electronic journals serving the ecology community viewed the development of electronic journals; how authors arrived at the decision to become involved in electronic publishing; and how social structures influenced the decision process. A qualitative approach was used to address these questions and to develop emergent themes. Three conceptual foundations grounded the project: Rogers' paradigm of diffusion of innovations, existing models of scientific communication, and the sociology of science. Data were gathered from interviews and supporting documents. The two journals, while both relatively new and serving the same discipline, adopted somewhat different approaches to electronic publishing: one employed an electronic-only format and the second offered simultaneous print and electronic publication. These are currently the two main approaches to developing electronic journals.; The main findings of the study are (1) eight elements characterizing informants' perceptions of electronic publishing, (2) an open systems model of the journal selection decision, (3) the discovery of the key role of editors as opinion leaders, and (4) the importance of three emergent themes for understanding the development of an electronic publishing system. The eight elements characterizing perceptions of electronic journals are accessibility, interaction, interconnection, usability, acceleration, quality filtering, online discussion, and cost effectiveness. These characteristics emphasize the role of journals within the sphere of scientists' work rather than focusing on specific technologies. The model of the journal selection decision explains the various factors and the actors who use and influence the factors. The main entities within the model are authors, editors, manuscripts, and journals. The key social connections within the system are between authors and editors. The three emergent themes provide key factors for the success of electronic publishing: (1) greater integration and (2) better time management and acceleration of processes (3) within a framework of effective community review. |
