Navigating the world of scholary communication: the impact of OA publishing

The role of the secondary publisher is to create a comprehensive, consistently indexed, easily searchable and widely distributed database of published outputs in a given subject area. Traditionally, the content provided for inclusion in a secondary database has been paper-based, with journal articles, books and conferences typically providing the bulk of the referenced material. In recent years, however, the abstracting and indexing process has had to adapt to include digital content and new types of content that reflect changes in the scholarly communication process. This presentation examines how a secondary publisher selects material for inclusion, some of the logistical issues associated with processing online content, including Open Access and OAI content, and how the originators of content and secondary publishers need to work together to ensure maximum benefit for the end user.