Publishing technologies : what does the future hold?

Web technologies have given publishers and researchers alike opportunities to interact in new ways. These have had an impact on business models, the value of formal and informal communication, and the role of publishers in the networked community. This article looks at some recent examples which are likely to set precedents for the future of publishing technologies. In particular, it focuses on the evolution of Web searching, the growing importance of online communities, the potential of Web tools for self-publishing, and the way in which publishers can control their content even post-publication. It also suggests that the recent rash of e-book readers is unlikely to be of importance to scholarly publishing.