14. Electronic Publishing

Publishing In The Digital Era What

is Electronic Publishing? Types of Electronic Publications: Electronic

Books (E-books) Electronic Journals (E-journals)

What is Electronic Publishing? 

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Electronic publishing (EP) defined as “the use of computers to facilitate production of a printed product through photocomposition” and “the use of computers and telecommunications systems to distribute data to users electronically”. (Kist,1987) EP takes many formats, including information resources of all kinds, educational aids, and games, and other entertainment products. Electronic presentations such as e-journals open many avenues for improving and extending access to information, but those involved in publishing them need excellent skills in writing, editing, and graphics design to present them effectively.

What is Electronic Publishing?  Characteristics

of EP in the digital era:

Production and distribution of the document should be through electronic means.  Its purpose is to disseminate information.  It can be accessed and viewed through the computer or other electronic devices.  It may be interactive.  Digital media are used to receive, store, and transmit information from computer to computer. 

Types of Electronic Publications Electronic Books (E-books) 

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Defined as “handheld, stand-alone analogues, devices such as ultra-portable electronic spell checkers, dictionaries and other similar reference tools” (Feldman, 1990) The first major initiative in producing electronic books was the Smart Book in 1984. E-books should have the following features:   

Electronic text presented visually to the reader. Images and audio may also be available. Features similar to a physical book, such as the table of contents, dogged ears or bookmarks, and pages. Contents should include the subject, plot or series.

Types of Electronic Publications Electronic Books (E-books) 

E-books are usually accessible from CD-ROMs, the Web, or using an electronic handheld reader.

 Benefits

of e-books:

High capacity of storage;  Speed of use (shorter time);  Wide range of formats;  Portability (smaller handheld reader);  Immediate access to new information and ideas;  Search and retrieve according user needs. 

Types of Electronic Publications Electronic Journals (E-journals) 

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E-journals is defined as “any journal, magazine, e’zine, Webzine, newsletter or type of electronic serial publication which is available over the Internet”. There are three types of access systems for ejournals, which allow either direct or indirect access:   

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Delivery systems, where the information is distributed directly by publishers to users; Access systems, which provide access to e-journals from different publishers, usually on a common topic; Identification tools, which are directories and guides.

Generally, e-journals have been more popular that their book counterparts.

Types of Electronic Publications Electronic Journals (E-journals) 

Some benefits of e-journals are:        

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Fast; Easy; Convenient to access; Current; Searchable; Browsable; Hyperlinked; Retrieved archived issues.

E-journals have experienced exponential growth since 1991. They have played a key role in scholarly communication by helping researchers and scholars publish their research in a relatively inexpensive way.