[ Follow Ups ]
Posted by Jim Till on November 16, 1999 at 08:24:23:
The Nov. 13 issue of BMJ is an interesting one. For example, there's an
editorial entitled:
"New technologies in medicine and medical journals" by Abi Berger
& Richard Smith. An excerpt:
"The future of medical journals is still more uncertain. Medical
journals that comprise mostly
research articles (most of them) are almost certain to disappear. Instead
research studies will be
published on a huge electronic database. The primary job of the surviving
journals will not be to
publish research studies but rather to visit the database, scavenge the studies
that are important
for clinicians (a small minority), and present them in as sexy and appealing a
form as they can
manage".
There are no comments in the editorial about roles for an online discussion
forum like this one.
But (maybe?) as it evolves, it might become one "part of a rich web that
will cater simultaneously
both for those who want a bite and those who want a full banquet" (this
quotation is taken, out of
context, from the same editorial).
--Jim