Electronic archiving will allow and perhaps induce the publisher to archive as well as distribute and there is every likelihood that the publisher will actually refuse to allow others to archive electronic material while it has a commercial value. Instead, libraries will be asked to route requests for materials to the publisher's archive so that the articles can be sold. In this way the publishers can satisfy the users need for access to 'living science', and maximise their return on investment, but they will presumably want to deposit these electronic files in central archival files when they are no longer commercially viable. In such a scenario, today's bulletin boards, with added features such as refereeing and data locking, could become yesterday's journal. Use and re-use A key demand of the user is to be able to manipulate the data they have purchased.
Most publishers recognise that users want to licence the materials for their own further use.
Users admit they do not yet have a totally clear idea of what they want to do with the information. But they do understand the terrain they want to work in and will welcome the opportunity to debate boundaries with the publishers. The future Today's factual and literature databases are being built with the computer technologies of the 40's. Present moves to upgrade the technologies used have to ensure that data is not lost. The primary publishers can offer their materials to the market who can, in theory, access them without locating tools such as the literature databases.