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Abstract The concept of the journal is reexamined in the light of current computer‐communications technology. Four forms of electronic journals on the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES) are described as divergent examples of potential journal forms that could become prominent in the future. These are (1) an informal newsletter, (2) an unrefereed “Paper Fair, “ (3) a journal which replicates the traditional print‐based system, and (4) a highly structured inquiry‐response system. The economic imperatives which will force the replacement of current print‐based journals are reviewed. It is predicted that the next few decades will witness the emergence of networks of small computer systems dedicated to dispersed journal functions and under the control of the primary communities responsible for the creation of the information.
Turoff et al. (Thu,) studied this question.