They will finally be able to publish their research in high-quality journals, with full peer review, but without surrendering control to a publisher that will limit the subsequent distribution of that research. An advisory board of international scientists will oversee TheScientificWorld's overall publication quality, with approximately 100 editors responsible for quality within sub-disciplines, Tomlinson said. By charging users only for the articles they choose to download, TheScientificWorld will allow authors to receive royalties on revenues from each sale, providing a built-in quality standard, Tomlinson said. Unlike most print journals, authors will retain copyright on their work. But others question the notion of free peer-reviewed literature on the Web.
Somebody has to pay for that expense.
So far, few online-only journals have managed to survive, Harnad said. To compete with established print journals and electronic hybrids, Web-only startups must convince authors to test both a new brand and a new medium. But others say that print journals with hefty price tags will have to adapt to the changes brought by e-publishing in order to survive. Simply taking scientists' research and selling it back to them is not enough. Unless journals get on the Internet, their life is threatened.