Masthead CMC Magazine / May 1, 1996
 A Framework for Electronic Publishing Issues, by John December

The Issues Facing Electronic Publishers

James E. Rush's forward to the book sets out the issues in a very straightforward way. The following table summarizes his breakdown. Links from the table will take you to my brief discussion of the book's coverage in each of these areas.

[]Strom []Brain, and []December frame the challenges facing Web publishers in terms of specific process skills.

IssueBook Coverage
^ Intellectual and Economic Property There's a range of issues to be considered and settled; the scholarly community, because it shares a common situation (for the most part, non-monetary gains from the dissemination of works), has an opportunity to reach some consensus.
^ Egalitarianism v. ElitismThere's a danger in how an online "canon" can shut out diverse voices; yet online projects can bring to light texts that might otherwise be lost.
^ Academic LegitimacyPeer review protocols are crucial in creating a hierarchy of publications to mirror the hierarchy that academics are now accustomed to.
^ LibrarianshipLibrarians will continue to adapt cataloging rules and format standards to the electronic world; selection and description will be the key value librarians add to online information.
^ Societal ImplicationsA focus on changes in academia and scholarship; strong consensus for strict review systems to confer legitimacy while at the same time allowing for a spectrum of formality.
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