Predecessors of preprint servers

Citation: James E. Till (2001/01/01) Predecessors of preprint servers. Learned Publishing (RSS)
DOI (original publisher): 10.1087/09531510125100214
Semantic Scholar (metadata): 10.1087/09531510125100214
Sci-Hub (fulltext): 10.1087/09531510125100214
Internet Archive Scholar (search for fulltext): Predecessors of preprint servers
Download: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/alpsp/lp/2001/00000014/00000001/art00002
Tagged: openaccess (RSS)

Summary

Although there was an early experiment in the 1960s with the central distribution of paper preprints in the biomedical sciences, these sciences have not been early adopters of electronic preprint servers. Some barriers to the development of a 'preprint culture' in the biomedical sciences are described. Multiple factors that, from the 1960s, fostered the transition from a paper-based preprint culture in high energy physics to an electronic one are also described. A new revolution in scientific publishing, in which journals come to be regarded as an overlay on electronic preprint databases, will probably overtake some areas of research much more quickly than others.

There's a version in HTML at: http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0102004. (The author retained copyright).

Theoretical and Practical Relevance

This summary has been quoted in a FriendFeed entry by Daniel Mietchen, October 13, 2009: http://ff.im/9J72b.

A preprint server has been established for research on influenza: PLoS Currents: Influenza (for commentaries, see: Varmus Gets His Preprint Server by Jocelyn Kaiser, ScienceInsider, August 21, 2009, and E-Biomed 2.0? by Richard Poynder, Open and Shut?, August 22, 2009).