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The electronic journal is, generically speaking, the telephonic trans- 
mission of computerized data readable on a visual terminal. These are 
commercial systems, such as Comtex Scientific, not yet available on a 
world-wide basis and thus not accessible to every institution or individual 
researcher. Where the systems exist, they are efficient and effective, and 
thus in demand; where they do not exist, they are not likely to exist soon, 
largely because of economic considerations. 
As the world 'informatizes' itself, we may thus expect that elec- 
tronic data transfer will replace to a certain extent the conventional 
means of handling research information. This will require the taking into 
account of the value of the information itself, in marked contradistinction 
to however fancifully we imagine the value of the new medium to be. We 
are reminded here of not mistaking medium for message, if we may echo 
for a moment the thoughts of Marshall McLuhan. 
Today, primary sources frequently publish material which is little 
more than first, raw theoretical or experimental data; neither culled nor 
refined, this information sometimes duplicates material appearing in 
other journals. Much heat has been generated during the past decade over 
the value of the refereeing system. In the long run (say, until the year 
2000), however, a good journal is not likely to dispense with the referee 
procedure. This implies that a certain time must elapse before the editor 
can decide to publish the material submitted to him. 
Nevertheless, today some periodicals publish typescripts, once 
accepted, within about six weeks; journals resorting to typesetting require 
about twice as long. Is this time acceptable, and can it be expectd to 
remain so? 'While it is true that scientists may opt for quick publication 
to establish priority...,' reminds a biologist in a recent letter to Science, 
'the same scientists will not want to read everything but will continue to 
favour manuscripts published in high-quality journals, electronic or other- 
wise.' Perhaps this situation will begin to clarify itself somewhat when the 
International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing meets 
again in Brazil in 1984 to discuss the problem further. 
4 
There remains to be discussed the question of economics: the economics 
of publishing scientific journals. We have seen that the primary journals 
emanate largely from private publishing firms or national academies of 
sciences. A traditional subscriber to these journals has been the insti- 
tutional library, whether of a national parliament, a ministry, a univer- 
sity, a private corporation, a design institute, a 'think tank,' or similar 
body. A measurable trend during the 1970s was a shrinking of the library 
market. In the sole case of the United States, a typical library which had 
funds ten years ago Jor 2,000 subscriptions annually must now content 
itself with about 300. 
I. a t 
Charles M. Goldstein, in a letter to Science, Vol. 217, 6 August 1982. 
2. ccarding to the chairman of ICSU's Committee on Publications and 
Communications. 
Richardson 9