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Review
. 2005 Jan;93(1):7-15.

Life and death on the coral reef: an ecological perspective on scholarly publishing in the health sciences

Rick B Forsman  1
Affiliations
Review

Life and death on the coral reef: an ecological perspective on scholarly publishing in the health sciences

Rick B Forsman. J Med Libr Assoc. 2005 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Reflecting patterns evident in past Janet Doe lectures, the 2004 address draws on the foundations of biology to provide a model that offers insights into the advent of electronic publications and choices for the future.

Setting: The lecture sketches a picture of the fragile relationships found in complex ecosystems and illustrates how such interdependencies function in the environment of the coral reef.

Analysis: Deriving lessons from the marine world, the lecture then shifts to a description of similarities in the realm of scholarly publishing, the impact of digital innovations in the marketplace, and the controversies and choices inherent in open access publications.

Conclusions: Lessons from ecology and publishing lead to the conclusion that librarians must take action and risks in this time of dramatic environmental change.

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