The Roquade project : a gradual revolution in academic publishing.

Abstract

Due to a number of problems the traditional scientific journal has become an obstacle for efficient scientific communication. A number of initiatives has been started to realise other ways of scientific publishing, using modern information technology. In several disciplines, however, a relatively large number of scientists still are reluctant to make use of completely new ways of publishing.

The extraordinary aspect of the Roquade project is marked by the fact that it offers a variety of possibilities, which together constitute an expeditious way for gradually changing the publication behaviour of scientists. This project, initiated by the university libraries of the Dutch universities of Delft and Utrecht, aims at creating an infrastructure that conglomerates the swiftness of publication which hitherto could only be realised by grey publishing, with quality judgement without the serious delay of the traditional review procedures. Roquade offers a wide number of facilities to a broad audience, based on a common organisational and technical infrastructure:

* A publication site, with a peer review process before as well as after publication, * traditional electronic publishing , replacing the traditional publishing process: digital journals, dissertations and conference collections, * co-publishing: digital publication services in co-operation with publishers, * the publishing of grey literature.

The variety of possibilities offers authors and organisations an easy way to gradually increase their degree of innovation. They can start with a digital version of a traditional journal, gradually make more and more use of the technical possibilities (add data, sound, videos), gradually dropping the concept of an issue/volume, gradually change from peer review beforehand to peer review after publication.