RSC Electronic Journals Projects and the SPARC Initiative Mike Hannant Publisher, Electronic Journals The Royal Society of Chemistry
PhysChemComm Communications journal publishing innovative research in chemical physics Geochemical Transactions (launch January 2000) Journal published on behalf of ACS Geochemistry Division, covering innovative research in geochemistry Electronic-only journals
PhysChemComm and Geochemical Transactions Features l Electronic journals no print l High quality research l Rapid publication l Fully searchable l Enhanced presentation
l High quality research l Rapid publication l Fully searchable l Enhanced presentation Features PhysChemComm
Innovative use of technology Article E-submission + E-refereeing Reduced ‘Times to publication’ Submission to Publication (1999) 38 days average
Innovative use of technology l Enhanced article presentation Movies Interactive spectra Rotatable molecules,etc
Movies PhysChemComm, 1999, 10
Interactive spectra
Rotatable molecules PhysChemComm, 1998, 4
Background to RSC Electronic publishing Opportunities l Timeliness of publication l Multimedia additions l Versatility - personalised journals l Favourable production costs without print l Customer perception of publisher
l Few communications in Faraday/PCCP even though much effort had gone in to trying to attract comms, cf. ChemComm l Therefore, RSC not getting these papers via traditional methods l These articles mainly going to high priced commercial journals. l PhysChemComm - vehicle for gaining these Background Why PhysChemComm?
Why SPARC? - general perspective l catalyst for change focus for change l competitive marketplace l encourage innovative uses of technology to improve scholarly communication The Royal Society of Chemistry
Why SPARC? - publisher perspective l Guaranteed support publicity subscriptions l Common goals with learned societies pricing issues access issues/archiving copyright issues The Royal Society of Chemistry
Quotes in the press l “Humbug” “Wow, that was fast! Ten days between submission and acceptance is a record for me!” l “unless PhysChemComm delivers a knock-out blow [to its competitors] it just becomes one more journal that I have to put on my list to browse; so long as the Elsevier journal has good papers I will still need to check it” The Royal Society of Chemistry
PhysChemComm Geochemical Transactions
The Royal Society of Chemistry PhysChemComm
Mike Hannant Publisher, Electronic Journals The Royal Society of Chemistry