Ephemeral Scholarly Literature in the Biomedical Domain: Need for Collaborative Efforts

Dear Editor:

I write in response to Dr. Schloman’s Information Resources Column regarding the ephemeral nature of digital information. Schloman (2003) has given an excellent overview on the ephemeral nature of digital information. Scholarly electronic journals are not exempted from this ephemeral nature of digital information. There have been initiatives to preserve digital information eternally, e.g., the PubMedCentral http://www.pubmedcentral.com and the E-Print servers. However, the scope of the latter is limited in that it also includes non-peer reviewed scholarly communications published directly by the authors.

A collaborative model of open, online peer review and archival of digital information is perhaps the need of the hour. Such a model has been proposed (Scaria, 2003). This model, presented below, includes open peer review, archival ability, and access to directly published scholarly communication on the Internet.

Proposed scheme for open peer review and archival of directly published scholarly communication on Internet. From Scaria (2003) @Copyright belongs to the author

It is likely that the rapidly evolving Internet and publishing technology will make current archival options nearly obsolete in a few years. No single option will be able to circumvent the problem of losing previously posted literature. However, employing multiple archival modalities, including the implementation of distributed and collaborative models, such as the Project Gutenberg www.gutenberg.org, would allow for indefinite retrieval of online material. Living in an era of rapidly evolving technologies, no philosopher worth his salt will predict the future. The question remains: Will digital information become obsolete? Time will give us the answer.

Vinod Scaria
Center for Cybermedicine and Internet Research
Malaparamba, Calicut
Kerala, India
vinodscaria@yahoo.co.in

References:

Schloman, Barbara. (2003). Now you see it, now you don’t: The ephemeral nature of digital information. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Retrieved July 25, 2003, from http://nursingworld.org/ojin/infocol/info_11.htm

Scaria V. (2003).Peer review of scholarly communication in health: Perspectives in the Internet age. Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences. Retrieved July 25, 2003, from http://ojhas.org/issue5/2003-1-2.htm

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