Collaboration, Controversy, and Common Sense

May 29-31, 2002
Boston, MA

These are tumultuous times for publishers, for their customers, and for their suppliers. When SSP last met in Boston in 1999, the program focused on “Is the Real Revolution Just Beginning?” as speakers and participants examined issues around what were then brand-new formats and potential delivery channels. Three years later we’ve gone through several generations of changes in technology and in the marketplace.

The stakes are even higher today than they were at the beginning of this revolution. Each business decision carries even greater risk. There is perhaps an unprecedented level of controversy over how scholarly content should be delivered and paid for. And the demands for new products and new functionalities grow louder every day. What is a publisher to do? How can we meet all the demands—and still stay in business? One answer may lie in the equally unprecedented level of collaboration among scholarly publishers and their publishing partners. We are beginning to see collaboration with customers as well. Will collaboration and common sense help us overcome controversy and dissidence to ensure that the scientific literature grows with new discoveries and remains accessible for future study?

We are here in Boston for a stimulating discussion of current issues, as well as options and management tools that can help us not only survive, but thrive as scholarly publishers. We’ll learn how other publishers are using new approaches to produce, deliver, and market their publications. Book or serial publisher, we will gain important insights from the lively mix of publishers, suppliers, customers, and authors in an outstanding line-up of speakers on topics of immediate import to us all.

Pre-Meeting Seminars - Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Digital Rights Management: Old Hat or New Wrinkle? How DRM is Affecting Business Decisions in Today’s Publishing Environment

Moderator: Rick Lugg, ^bio R2Consulting

Speakers:
Ed Colleran, ^bio Copyright Clearance Center
Jonathan Schull, Digital Goods
John Cox, ^bio John Cox Associates

In this half-day pre-meeting seminar, a panel of industry experts will provide insights on the top three DRM issues they think are having the most significant impact on academic and professional publishing business decisions today. Once a panelist has presented his/her three issues, the other panel members, as well as the audience, will have an opportunity to participate in the discussion. Topic areas that may be explored in the discussion include: 1) data encryption; 2) copy protection; 3) business and pricing models; 4) collection and payment systems; 5) secondary permissioning; 6) content delivery; 7) the role of the DOI in e-books and e-journals; 8) fair use & legal issues; 9) key DRM players; 10) current standards efforts and working groups. Find out what’s on the minds of experts and experienced colleagues.

 

The XML Revolution: What Scholarly Publishers Need to Know

Speaker: Bill Kasdorf, ^bio President of Impressions Book and Journal Services

The unprecedented enthusiasm for XML, the Extensible Markup Language, has spawned a bewildering array of related technologies for tagging, organizing, describing, navigating, linking, and presenting information. This half-day seminar will present an overview of XML and its extended family, along with a discussion of the emerging standards that will be most important for book and journal publishers.

 

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Data Conversion But Were Afraid to Ask

Speaker: David Skurnik, Vice President, Sales of Data Conversion Laboratory

When publications were produced only once and only in one form—usually print, publishers didn’t have to pay much attention to the underlying data used to produce those publications. But now that a variety of forms are not just desired but demanded by users, publishers need to understand a variety of data formats and convert their data from one form to another. This half-day seminar will provide an overview of today’s most important options and will help you to understand and evaluate a variety of approaches to data conversion in order to make conversion projects efficient, effective, and economical.

 

Expanding Your Revenue Stream Through Online Content

Moderator: Rick Miller, Market Analyst, Copyright Clearance Center

Speakers:
Mark Walter, ^bio Senior Analyst, Seybold Publications, a Key3Media company
Andrea Keyhani, COO, Ingenta
Michael Spinella, Director of Membership and Meetings, AAAS, Science magazine

An expanding market for digital content is changing the face of the publishing industry, creating both obstacles and opportunities. Unauthorized use of content is a concern for most publishers, and finding a distribution model that thwarts pirates but doesn’t frustrate honest users can be a complicated mission. But a well-thoughtout plan can yield hidden returns through the Web-created phenomenon of super-distribution and the age-old business model of secondary use. This session will offer a germane discussion on the state of digital content and the way publishers deliver and license content, and collect royalties directly from their Internet sites.

Objective: By the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to develop strategies to capitalize on the revenue potential of an expanding online content market.

 

XML Implementation: Publishing Systems

Speaker: Dale Waldt, ^bio Founder and Director, aXtiveMinds

XML has proven to be a powerful tool in the Publishers’ arsenal. This course describes how it can be applied to the publishing process. Implementing an XML-based publishing system is covered in sufficient detail to enable the attendee to understand options and approaches to implementing XML in a publishing environment, state their project objectives, build associated implementation plans and business cases, and eventually successfully implement an XML-based publishing system. To support effective XML system development planning, this course provides overview of XML and related standards and technology designed to assist the decision making manager, executive, or project leader in understanding the standards and the choices faced when implementing them. The XML processing architecture, syntax, implementation examples, development project, tools, and business processes will be described in business terms. The goals and opportunities of an XML project and the business benefits of the resulting system will be explored.

 

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Thursday, May 30, 2002

Collaboration, Controversy, and Common Sense: How Will the Scholarly Communications System Evolve?

Moderator: Heather Joseph, ^bio President, BioOne

Speakers:
Jean-Claude Guedon, ^bio Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Montreal
Pieter Bolman, Director of STM Relations, Elsevier Science

With the advent of the Internet, the technical system of scientific communication has undergone a profound change that is still unfolding. Although few question the positive impact of faster and more robust dissemination of research results, scholars have begun to examine the impact of these technical changes on the underlying structure of the scholarly communication system, and particularly the economic system that has evolved to support it.

In this keynote address, Professor Jean-Claude Guedon will examine the current system from the perspective of a historian who is an active producer and user of scholarly materials. He will explore the debate on whether the results of fundamental research are likely to remain part of the public core of knowledge, or whether they are likely to continue to function as commercial commodities.

Dr. Pieter Bolman, Director of STM Relations for Elsevier Science, will then speak from the perspective of a long-time participant in the scholarly publishing arena, both as a PhD scientist and as a scholarly publisher.

 

Successful Models for Book Publishing

Moderator: Norma Brennan, Director of Publications, AIAA

Speakers:
Philip DiVietro, Director of Technical Publishing, American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Blaise Simqu, ^bio Executive Vice President, Sage Publications, Inc.

Janet Bailey, Vice President of STM Books, John Wiley & Sons

Many publishers, particularly those in the not-forprofit sector, have neglected the challenging world of book publishing simply because they were more comfortable with their already successful journal programs. Now, however, there are models of success in this “other” branch of publishing. Three publishers will provide broad overviews of their varied approaches, covering the entire process from objective market analysis through acquisitions, building a list, managing volunteer editorial boards, forming partnerships, and distribution and sales. They will encourage interactive audience discussion.

 

The Use (and Misuse) of Usage Data

Moderator: Isabel Czech, Director of Publisher Relations, ISI

Speakers:
Tom Sanville, Executive Director, OhioLink
Marcella Barnhart, Product Development Manager, ISI
Peter Shepard, Project Director, PALS
Denise Davis, Director, Statistics and Surveys, US NCLIS

Librarians want usage statistics for online products, and many publishers and database producers are striving to provide them. What exactly do librarians need? What can publishers supply? Are they the same? Does heavy usage equal high quality? What standards do we need? What pitfalls lie in the way? In this session, we’ll hear from a librarian, a primary publisher, and a secondary publisher, and see whether we’re on the same road, or taking different paths.

 

New Challenges in Electronic Journal Publishing: Pricing, Licensing and Negotiation with Consortia

Moderator: John Tagler, ^bio Vice President, Account Development & Library Marketing, Elsevier

Speakers:
Bette Brunelle, ^bio Executive Vice President, Software Products and Services, OVID Technologies, Inc.
Barbara Preece, Executive Director, Boston Library Consortium
Michael Fournier, Library Manager, Biogen Corporation

The migration from print to electronic journal publishing has thrust the players–publishers and librarians–into uncharted waters. In the past few years publishers and librarians have been on a fast learning curve to develop new models for selling and purchasing scholarly journal content. Publishers have sought to develop new approaches to pricing that will be an incentive to libraries to introduce electronic editions while at the same time not undermining the revenue streams that keep journals afloat. Librarians, faced with shrinking budgets and growing information output, have turned to consortia and other strategies as a means of buying more information more economically. Our three speakers, a representative from the electronic publishing community, a representative from an academic library consortium, and a corporate librarian will present their views and relay their experiences in navigating these waters.

 

Electronic Ink

Moderator: William E. Kasdorf, ^bio President, Impressions Book & Journal Services

Speaker: Russell Wilcox, Vice President & General Manager, e- Ink

Electronic ink is a new material that will have a far-reaching impact on how society receives its information. Although revolutionary in concept, electronic ink is a straightforward fusion of chemistry, physics, and electronics. The principal components are millions of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human hair. The co-founder of one of the leading developers of electronic ink technology discusses its benefits and importance for the publishing industry. He will show a sneak peak of next year’s electronic ink screens for e-books, which enable a new generation of reader devices.

 

Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines

Moderator: Tom Richardson, Business Manager, New England Journal of Medicine

Speakers:
Fredrick Marckini, CEO and Founder, iProspect.com
Kathryn Joy Marketing Manager, Online, New England Journal of Medicine

Having a Web site for your publication is only the beginning; to be successful, you need people to visit and use your site. One of the primary ways users seek information on the Web is by using search engines, and each search engine has its own search algorithms and result rankings. Learn how to position your Web site for search engines to help send you qualified visitors.

 

Who’s Buying Our Content Now, and How?

Moderator: Doug LaFrenier, ^bio Director of Marketing and Sales, American Institute of Physics

Speakers:
Susan Kesner, ^bio Director, Publisher Relations, Infotrieve
Jean Mayhew, (formerly) Director, Information Network, United Technologies Research Center
Graeme Whitley, Director of New Business Development, John Wiley & Sons

The 21st century “user” of SSP content has unprecedented options for finding and using information. Libraries face a bewildering array of possibilities for acquiring content. Publishers are reexamining business models and considering novel ways of unbundling, repackaging, and delivering this content. Aggregators and other intermediaries have found new roles and new markets. In this session, a corporate librarian, a scholarly publisher and an article vendor look at evolving trends in how content is being offered, bought, and sold, and the impact of these shifts on their organizations.

 

Electronic Peer Review, Production, and Dissemination: What Do You Need to Know as a Manager?

Moderator: Joan Comstock, Sales Director, Cadmus Professional Communications

Speakers:
Priscilla Markwood, ^bio Managing Editor, American Society for Investigative Pathology
Jan Fleming, Vice President of Planning & Development, Cadmus Professional Communications
Jack Danaher, Director of Database Operations, Progressive Information Technologies
Kimberly Douglas, Director, Sherman Fairchild Library and Manager of Technical Information Services

What benefits would you gain if you used an end-to-end electronic publishing system? What are the possibilities for the future? Could you facilitate new revenue streams? Achieve greater production efficiencies? What are the steps you need to take when planning your new system? How do you think through setting requirements, defining specifications, investing, and planning the implementation of a new electronic process for the various segments of this system? What are the human dimensions involved? What skill sets are needed? How do you transition current staff from the old to the new?

 

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Friday, May 31, 2002

The Open Archives Initiative and Scholarly Publishing

Moderator: Amy Brand, Director of Business Development, CrossRef

Speakers:
Carl Lagoze, Digital Library Scientist in Computing & Information Science, Cornell University
Mark Doyle, Manager, Product Development, Journal Information Systems, American Physical Society

The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) develops and promotes interoperability standards aimed at facilitating the efficient dissemination of research content. The OAI is rooted in an effort to enhance access to e-print archives as a means of increasing the availability of scholarly communication. Hence, the OAI framework has clear applications and import for scholarly publishers. Speakers will discuss a range of OAI projects emerging in the US and Europe, and consider the consequences – and controversy – of the OAI model for publishers.

 

E-Books: Now That They’re Dead… They’re Alive

Moderator: Pat Harris, Executive Director, NISO

Speakers:
Rick Lugg, ^bio President, R2 Consulting
Steve Potash, President and CEO, OverDrive
Kate Wittenberg, Director, Digital Publishing Initiative, Columbia University

While the mainstream press has officially declared that the market for popular books on hand-held readers appears “dead on arrival”, digital delivery of content in the professional and scholarly arena represents a market that is steadily maturing. Join us for a discussion with experts about three key topics important to the SSP marketplace. Speakers will address such questions as these: What do we mean when we say e-Book: hardware? software? content? What are the standards needed to make this market come into its own? Who’s making money now, and what are the successful business models?

 

Distance Learning, Distributed Learning: What Are They? How Do They Affect Me?

Moderator: Eamon T. Fennessy, ^bio Chief Executive Officer, The Copyright Group, Inc.

Speakers:
Lois Wasoff, Vice President, Houghton Mifflin Company
Isabella Hinds, ^bio Director, WebCT, Inc.
John Purcell, President, Learning Objects Networks, Inc.

Distance Learning, Distributed Learning? How is it accomplished and what is being done to have effective education and training? In this session you’ll learn what the education publishing community is doing, what tools are available to educators, what corporate-government models are being developed, and what the publishing community can expect in the way of incentives for future learning approaches.

 

Planning and Implementing Linking to Drive Usage

Moderator: Graeme Whitley, Director of New Business Development, John Wiley & Sons

Speaker:
Ed Pentz, ^bio Executive Director, CrossRef
John Walker, Associate Director, Content Systems Integration, John Wiley & Sons
Chris Shillum, Director of Product Development, ScienceDirect
Jenny Walker, Director of Sales and Marketing, Ex Libris

Linking–be it reference linking, “cited by” linking, abstracts linking, or local linking–drives usage to the online systems we have all so heavily invested in. Behind these features on all online systems are the underlying content linking technologies. This technical session will provide insightful technical guidance on what to do and what not to do in planning and executing an effective linking technology strategy that can scale into useful features to drive usage and effectively compete in the online environment.

 

Archiving

Moderator: John Tagler, ^bio Vice President, Account Development & Library Marketing, Elsevier

Speakers:
Martin Blume, Editor-in-Chief, American Physical Society
Dale Flecker, Associate Director, Planning & Systems, Harvard
Vicky Reich, ^bio Director, LOCKSS Project, Stanford University Libraries

In the print world, libraries have assumed the responsibility for archiving, and they have done so for centuries. With the advent of electronic publications, however, the old order is being re-examined. Suddenly publishers are being asked to take the responsibility for electronic archives–either to maintain the archives themselves or to commission new partners to assume the task. But willingness is only the first step. The criteria and standards necessary to guarantee long-term maintenance are just beginning to be addressed. This session will present the views of representatives from an academic research library, a society publisher, and a collective academic initiative, all of whom approach the conundrum of electronic archiving from very different perspectives.

 

Content Management: Building a Decision Matrix

Moderator: Chris Kartchner, Vice President, Ness USA

Speakers:
Melissa Durborow, Group Manager for Fry Information Services
Kevin Hannon, Consultant
Michael Pillippe, Director, Interactive and e-business Initiatives, Swb&r

Content management has long been a hot topic in publishing circles. While content management systems, products, and tools were being designed and developed for the traditional publishing world…the Web explosion took place! One of the benefits has been the concurrent development of Web publishing tools, many of which may have a place as broader content management tools available for scholarly publishers. Representatives from within and outside the world of publishing, including software development concerns, will bring independent but relevant perspectives. This session is designed both to further expose you to some of the practical options available, and to share expertise that will help you to shape your own content management decision matrix based upon your specific needs.

 

Using New Technology: SGML/XML and Legacy Data Projects

Moderator: Barbara Meyers, ^bio President, Meyers Consulting

Speakers:
Jerry Elliott, Marketing Director, US, SPI Scholarly Publisher Services
Keith Seitter, ^bio Deputy Executive Director, American Meteorological Society
Ted Freeman, Director of Electronic Publishing Services, Allen Press Inc.

This is a non-technical session for managers on using new technology. It will explore two key challenges STM publisher face today: (1) Handling legacy data: How does a publisher embark on this challenging and costly endeavor? What are the options? What functionality is needed? What are the promises and pitfalls? (2) SGML & XML: How to efficiently code for legacy data today. Is SGML still the standard? What does XML offer? While speakers will provide a view to the future, they will emphasize the economics and options available today.