Re: National Online: Nature and Others... (like SCIENCE)

[kaemper@ub.uni-stuttgart.de]

Papers are normally cited not verbatim but you cite facts reported in
papers. I see no reason how that function could be affected in any way
by small editorial changes. And don't misunderstand me: if I call this
"cosmetics", I don't want to deny that it is important: Science and
Nature are the "supermodels" of scientific publishing, and we know how
important cosmetics is in that business ... (One part of cosmetics here
is probably superior graphics.) 

But if scientists would wait until all papers they want desperately to
read have been fully cooked they wouldn't get very far. I doubt whether
real gourmets would stay long at the forefront of the research ...

Fact is that ScienceExpress papers are citable (whether you find it a
matter of personal discretion or not) and routinely get cited. 

Here is what the Science Website has to say about it (you quoted only
part of it):

"ScienceExpress papers are considered to be published on the day they
are posted and are citable. The online publication date will appear in
the print version of the paper.
...
Papers posted in Science Express are considered published on the date
that they are posted. The print version of a Science Express paper will
indicate the date when the paper was published online and give access
and citation information. 
(Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/express/introduction.shl)

These are peer-reviewed articles that have been accepted for publication
in science. Note that the ScienceExpress version (as the original
version of record for the publication on the date it was published) is
retained and held accessible even after it has been replaced by the
final print (and PDF) version: 

"Access to the earlier Science Express version of the paper will be
available through a link from the full text of the paper on Science
Online." 
(Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/express/introduction.shl)

Its easy to substitute a citation to a ScienceExpress article with the
final form in later stages of a paper where I want to cite the article,
e.g. 

Before:
W. Jones, B. Smith, Science, 20 December 2000 (10.1126/science.1054678).
After:
W. Jones, B. Smith, Science 252, 1056 (2001); published online 20
December 2000 (10.1126/science.1054678).

but it does no harm if you do not: You cite the DOI, and by construction
it will always point to the right version, first to the ScienceExpress
Version, than to the final version on the Science Online website - the
Science website explains that mechanism in detail. In Physics, people
have no problems with citing e-print servers, and they don't feel
foolish. The big society publishers already support this explicitely,
including the required reference linking mechanisms (cf. IOP and
AIP/APS). 

It doesn't concern me whether institutions think that Science Online is
a great deal or not - I would not argue with you about that. I only
wanted to say that David is correct when he says institutional Nature
subscribers  are getting delayed content; your cake analogy doesn't help
the faculty member who needs an article that is already getting cited.
There is probably little what libraries can do about that, apart from
making authors aware that their articles get not the immediate exposure
they would like them to have, and to advice them to act properly, make
their voice known, put their own material on OAi compliant e-print
servers etc. Then publishers may do what they like, it will do little
harm. 

Bernd-Christoph Kaemper, Stuttgart University Library

Rick Anderson wrote:
> 
> > Sorry, but that's not true. It's not pre-publication access with Science.
> > ScienceExpress articles are considered published (and citable) as soon as
> > they are out in the online version. The rest is just cosmetics.
> 
> Here's what it says at the Science website:
> 
> "Science Express provides rapid electronic publication of
> selected Science papers. Print versions of these papers
> will appear in Science in several weeks. Some editorial
> changes may occur between the online version and the
> final printed version. Access to the PDF version of the
> papers is available free to all AAAS members.
> Nonmembers can view papers with the pay-per-view
> option."
> 
> I guess whether they're citable or not is a matter of personal discretion.
> Personally, I'd probably wait until all the edits have been made.  And like
> I said, the bottom line is whether you're getting what you want for your
> money.  At UNR, we are.
> 
> -------------
> Rick Anderson
> Electronic Resources/Serials Coordinator
> The University Libraries
> University of Nevada, Reno
> 1664 No. Virginia St.
> Reno, NV  89557
> PH  (775) 784-6500 x273
> FX  (775) 784-1328
> rickand@unr.edu