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Hypermedia Online Publishing: the Transformation of the Scholarly Journal

7.4 Conclusion

The surveys discussed in this chapter provided a clear picture of the general demographics for the two target populations as well as their access to relevant technology for delivery of hypermedia on-line journals (personal computer, a CD-drive (for CD-ROM based publications), a sound card or equivalent, a colour screen, and a direct network connection or modem). The surveys also quantified their frequency of use of particular forms of electronic publishing: subscribing to an email list, accessing an ftp server, accessing a gopher server, accessing the Web, using a CD-ROM, viewing electronic journals, viewing the e-journal Psyche , or publishing electronically themselves. Finally the surveys elicited their feelings about a series of possible advantages and disadvantages of electronic publishing.

The two survey sub-populations (the email and print survey) show significant differences on a number (but not all) of the measures. They are also drawn from the same scholarly discipline (psychology). If one considers the data on access to, and use of, information technology, one interpretation consistent with pattern of answers is that the email survey sub-population are early adopters of information technology for scholarly communication (relative to the print survey sub-population). It is therefore possible that they can be used to indicate early trends in use for the print survey sub-population.

Last modified: Monday, 11-Dec-2017 14:38:24 AEDT