1. Roundtable Wrap-up
Moderator:
Mark Walter, Consultant
(mark_walter@verizon.net)

2. Summary/Issues from Today’s
Presentations
Peer review
Metadata
Digital workflows and XML
Digital printing
Other topics

3. Peer Review
Compared to a year ago, we have more experience in
Web-based submission and peer review: now we’re
working on what’s next
We continue to move from paper to digital workflows:
– Overall goal is to make content more accessible (inside and
outside) during the editorial/production cycle —and expose
process as well
– Increased velocity of publishing process remains a competitive
advantage
– Authors are accepting Web interfaces for submission and peer
review: “Interface enforces behavior”
– Transport is solved, but paper still required at certain steps
(especially receiving author corrections)

4. Discussion Questions
Do we extend peer review to include production,
or implement a bidirectional interface?
The interface between editorial and production:
is this special to a publisher or something we
should develop collaboratively with others?
– Consensus was that it will be difficult to standardize
How soon do we need to capture metadata
below article level (e.g., individual graphics)?

5. Metadata
Metadata issues are arising as we try to
leverage and integrate digital data and systems
– Recognition of the complexity of metadata:
Descriptive, technical and administrative
On-going issue: how do we ensure the quality of our
metadata?
Awareness of the need to “refurbish the archive”
– Adding new metadata that was not anticipated the
first time around
For richer linking, better search, etc.
XML makes it easier to augment markup, but doesn’t mean
you won’t have to refurbish the back file.

6. Digital Workflow, XML
Realizing that it’s not just “we must move to
XML.” Now the discussion has moved to
metadata quality control, multiple DTDs,
workflow, etc.
Pioneers changing from product-specific, linear
workflows to integrated parallel workflows
– Version 2 of XML workflows . . .
– CMS-enabled (ACP)
– “Just-in-time-XML” (Capital City Press)

7. Discussion Questions
Can we expect similar gains in production that
we obtained from Web -based peer review?
How much help will we get from vendors in
implementing digital production workflows?
What do we have to do on our own?
How many systems do I need? (one for
production tracking/workflow, another one for
digital asset management?)
How does XML improve quality?
How are you measuring ROI?

8. Digital Printing
Past proof of concept—now being used for both
new material and reissue of reprints or back
material
The entire print journal can be done digitally in
short runs to specific run lists
Changes the economics of traditional print
journals
How soon will digital printing be the norm, rather
than the exception, for short-run journals?

9. Challenges Ahead
How soon will the journal of record
become electronic? (Linda Drumheller’s
comment that it’s happening now . . .)
What are the implications . . .
– For editorial?
– For production?
– For IT?
– For the business as a whole?

10. Other Discussion Topics:
Emerging Technologies
Acrobat 7
– Will enable Reader Extensions: annotations in Reader (digital
comments from authors at page proofs)
– But publishers have found authors reluctant to annotate digitally
InDesign:
– Adobe improving its XML capabilities
– Third parties working on math
Server-based composition:
– How far can XSL-FO go?
– Quark and Adobe: will their server-based technologies be
relevant to journals, or just to marketing materials and
magazines?