Michael A Mabe CEO, STM & Visiting Professor, Information Science, University College, London

1. “The more things change, the more they stay the same...”:Why digital journals differ so little from paper Michael A Mabe CEO, STM & Visiting Professor, Information Science, University College, London

2. Prof. Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson On Growth and Form First Published 1917

3. Some things stay much the same...

4. ...to this From this...

5. Other things change a lot...

6. From this... ...to this... No article structure Highly structured

7. Fundamental needs of researchers (I) AUTHOR MODE • To be seen to report an idea first • To feel secure in communicating that idea • [For empirical disciplines] To persuade readers that their results are general and arise from enactment of the scientific method • To have their claim accepted by peers • To report their idea to the right audience • To get recognition for their idea • To have a permanent public record of their work

8. Fundamental Needs of Researchers (II) READER MODE • To identify relevant content • To select based on trust and authority • To locate and consume it • To cite it • To be sure it is final and permanent

9. Functions of the journal à la Oldenburg • Date stamping or priority via registration • Quality stamping through peer-review • Recording the final, definitive, authorised versions of papers and archiving them • Dissemination to targeted scholarly audience • [Added later] For readers, search and navigation • Achieved via creation and then managementof the “journal brand” • (journal title and its associated attributes for researchers)

10. Inventing the Journal: Oldenburg’s Letters REGISTRATION • [We must be] very careful of registring as well the person and time of any new matter.., as the matter itselfe; whereby the honor of ye invention will be inviolably preserved to all posterity. [Oldenburg, 24 November 1664] • all Ingenious men will be thereby incouraged to impart their knowledge and discoveryes [Oldenburg, 3 December 1664] • [I should not] neglect the opportunity of having some of my Memoirs preserv’d, by being incorporated into a Collection, that is like to be as lasting as usefull [Boyle, 1665] • “[Phil. Trans. should be] licensed under the charter by the Council of the Society, being first reviewed by some of the members of the same.” [R.Soc. Order in Council 1/3/1665] DISSEMINATION ARCHIVE CERTIFICATION

11. Evidence of researcher needs 2= 1 6 5 7 8 4 2= CERTIFICATION QUALITY & SPEED REGISTRATION Data from 36,188 Authors; 0= unimportant 10= very important Source: Elsevier Author Feedback Programme

12. 2nd most important motivation (93) 1st most important motivation (93) Motivations for Publishing 1993.B. R. Coles: “STM Information System in the UK”. Royal Society/ ALPSP/ British Lib.

13. 2nd most important motivation (93) 2nd most important motivation (05) 1st most important motivation (93) 1st most important motivation (05) Motivations for Publishing 1993.B. R. Coles: “STM Information System in the UK”. Royal Society/ ALPSP/ British Lib. 2005. Elsevier/NOP study What would you say are the two most important motivations for publishing? Base: (6344)

14. Motivational change over 10 years

15. Similarities • Form follows function... ... and function follows need • At a macro/fundamental level • researcher human needs change little over time... ... so functions remain constant ... and gross form remains stable

16. Example from 10 May 2009

17. Example from 14 November 1985

18. Example from 19 February 1672

19. Form follows function: macro level • Relatively short articles • Author names prominent • Dates of submission, acceptance, publication present • Registration, certification, dissemination and archive achieved simultaneously via the act of formal publication • Branded by journal title

20. Differences • Form follows function... ... and function follows need • At a micro/detailed level, as researcher populations increase • Need for independent trust and authority grows ... rhetorical mechanisms are more important ...increased formalisation of structure ...exemplars of scientific method

21. Form & Function: Micro Level Registration Registration & Certification Navigation Whole article: archive Article level rhetoric Navigation & rhetoric

22. Journal level v article level effects • Journal • Brand (title) • Certification • Dissemination (channel and scoping) • Citation (article referent) • Navigation and Dissemination • Certification • Article (with journal branding and referent) • Act of publication • Registration • Macro Rhetoric: Evaluated public formal affadavit • Internal structure • Micro Rhetoric: argument and language

23. Philosophical status justification epistemological engine knowledge Ideas/beliefs truth

24. Philosophical status Scientific method Act of formal publication Knowledge pro tempore Results/observations Peer review

25. Macro Rhetoric and Articles Private Co-workers Invisible college Speciality Discipline Public Create Discuss & revisit Criticism Formal public evaluation Formal confirmation Acceptance & integration OBSERVATION Informal research 1st draft Draft for comment COMMUNICATION Seminar/workshop/conference Draft mss Pre-print Science journalism CRITICAL EVALUATION Peer reviewed paper in a journal Review paper ACCEPTANCE AS FACT reference work prizes Formal monograph textbook history

26. Micro Rhetoric of Articles • Publication is not just communication • Articles are written to persuade readers that • a singular observation made by one observer is generally true for all observers at all times • the research reported is an enactment of the idealised scientific method

27. Micro Rhetoric of Articles • The structure and language of an article reflect these intentions • standardised impersonal sections • methods, results, discussion etc. • passive voice, generalised language • E.g., “A reaction was observed...” NOT “I saw...” • embedding the article in network of other articles through reference and citation • using others results to support the conclusions • See: A G Gross Rhetoric of Science

28. Scholarly Communication & Information Ecology • Communication Dimensionality • Mode • 1:1, 1:many, many:many • Directionality • unidirectional, interactive • Delivery regime • oral, written • Temporality • Live or recorded • Register: • private, public, informal, formal • Enhancement: • local, at a distance

29. Scholarly Communication & Information Ecology: An Example • Case of an oral lecture (like this!) • Mode: one-to-many • Directionality: unidirectional (except for Q&A) • Delivery regime: oral • Temporality: live • Register: public, formal • Enhancement: in the lecture hall none • but technology allows development to “at a distance” • broadcast, but reduced directionality • webcast, no reduced directionality

31. Future Change • Formal scholarly publishing system has evolved to satisfy • Human needs of researchers • Philosophical requirements of knowledge generation ...and to occupy its • Information ecological niches • Needs and niches are relatively constant over time • Conservatism of form reflects this constancy • Technology enables greater efficiency • New tools, but new tools for old purposes

32. Future Change II • New dimensions to “natural selection” pressures? • Sustainability of business models • Group wish think • Mythical “killer app”? • Post “asteroid” mass extinction?

33. Independent evolution of the eye

34. Questions? mabe@stm-assoc.org