Electronics letters online: the development of a full-text and image online journal

The publishing industry is in the mids of a paradigm change. As the amount of schorlarly publishing continues to increase, publishers and information specialists are examining electronic publishing as an alternative or additional method to the traditional paper journal for disseminating information. This paper discusses the development of Electronics Letters Online (ELO) as a case study. ELO is the first established peer-reviewed journal to be published in parallel electronically in a form that includes full-text and graohical images (complete with figures, tables and equations. The online journal has been implemented on the OCLC Electronic Journals Online service, which is accessible via the Internet and also dial-up telecommunications network. The graphical user interface (GUIDON) was the result of eight years of research and development, culminating with the lauch of the Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials in july 1992. The enhancements to Guidon and other areas are discussed. An awareness of the processes necessary for the development of electronic journals will provide publishers and information specialists with tools needed to make decisions about their own future directions