Prospects for electronic publication in communication: A survey of potential users

Abstract

This paper discusses the arguments for and against electronic publication and explores the potential acceptance for an electronic journal in the communication discipline. Using electronic mail, 85 users of a computer communication system were surveyed to determine the factors that would influence their decision to submit research reports to an electronic journal. The survey indicates that a majority of respondents would use an electronic journal to publish research reports and that most viewed publishing as a way to communicate about their work rather than a means for advancing in the field. The survey provides evidence that willingness to electronically publish decreased with higher occupational positions (from Masters student to Associate Professor) with this trend reversing itself at the level of Full Professor.

Key concepts:

• Electronic publication
• electronic journal
• electronic mail