The Wave of the Present: The Printed Scholarly Journal and the Edge of the Internet

Abstract

A senior editor reflects on his profession's purpose in the 'electronic era' and reminds us that contemporary editors have an obligation to respond to the rise of electronic publishing seriously and critically, just as scholarly editors earlier established and now maintain essential critical standards for professional scholarship. The functions editors perform are seen to have continuing value irrespective of the medium in which publications appear. The future of the editorial process is assured, because it is integral to the production of scholarship that can be trademarked as proficient and dependable. Lately, the discourse of proponents of online publishing has been moving towards precisely the same conclusion.