Waiting for Thomas Kuhn: First Monday and the Evolution of Electronic Journals

Abstract

The diversity of electronic journals in the past five years has led some to predict the extinction of traditional academic journals, that a new "paradigm" is sweeping scholarship. A closer examination of the ways in which digital and printed scholarly journals are developed clearly indicates that most electronic journals are not all that different in their fundamental editorial processes than print. Hence future researchers will enjoy a rich variety of media to share ideas and data with colleagues, providing greater opportunities for communication, debate, and agreement.