Computer Typesetting or Electronic Publishing? New trends in scientific publication

Abstract

Whilst computer (assisted) typesetting has completely replaced more traditional technologies such as hot lead during the last fifteen years, it too is now coming under threat from an even more radical technology in the form of electronic publishing (e.p.).Unlike both traditional and computer typesetting, e.p. avoids the use of paper completely and replaces it with a computer display.The potential advantages of e.p. are obvious: massive savings in cost, virtually instantaneous transmission; but there are disadvantages too, such as the difficulty of avoiding unauthorised copying, plagiarism, and re-distribution.There are also fundamental philosophical differences: whereas typesetting systems dictate the exact appearance of the finished page, e.p. systems may allow a far more abstract representation, with the final appearance being left very much up to the viewer.In this paper, I will outline recent developments in both computer typesetting and electronic publishing, and compare and contrast the two approaches.

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