Information Assimilation and
Distribution Challenges and Goals for Real and Virtual Journals.
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 39(3):181-188, March 2005
Modlin, Irvin M MD, PhD;
Adler, Guido MD; Alexander, Kathey; Arnold, Rudolf MD; Brenner, David A MD;
Corazziari, Enrico MD; Floch, Martin H MD, MS; LaPorte, Ronald E PhD; Peterson,
Walter L MD; Quigley, Eamonn M MD; Shapiro, Michael D BS; Spechler, Stuart J
MD; Spiller, Robin C MD; Tytgat, Guido N MD; Wiegers, Wolfram PhD
Abstract:
The distribution of biomedical information was
transfigured over three centuries ago with the introduction of scientific
journals. This enabled the widespread dissemination of data to global audiences
and greatly facilitated not only the advance of science but amplified the
interaction between investigators despite their different locations. This
process continued to expand in a linear fashion prior to the emergence of the
Internet. The latter system has prompted a phenomenal augmentation of
information accessibility, and its ever-expanding use has resulted in an
exponential increase in the demand for digital technology and online resources.
This technology has achieved unprecedented acceptance in the scientific domain
and enabled publishers to expeditiously produce and distribute journal contents
online. Such unparalleled access to information has sparked incendiary debate
within the scientific community and among journal publishers in regard to
numerous issues. It is thus much debated as to who has the right to
"own" or control intellectual property, whether information should be
made freely available to the online global community, how to gauge the
legitimacy and authenticity of published research, and the need to reexamine
the feasibility and profitability of paper journals in consideration of the
digital, online formats that continue to gain popularity. To assess the current
status of the situation, a meeting of journal editors, research scientists, and
publishing executives was held in
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