Important note: Information in this article was accurate in July 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
In May, Nobel laureate Harold Varmus, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), created a storm of controversy regarding his proposal for a new Internet Website called E-biomed that would allow for rapid electronic publishing of new biomedical research results. Publishers of traditional medical journals are shaking in their boots for fear of the potential losses they may incur-both from decreased subscription sales and from decreased advertising revenue. The proposed Website would represent a significant departure from the 300-year tradition of printed medical journals.
Varmus proposed that the NIH sponsor the new Website and assemble a governing board to oversee the project. Under the proposal, standard submission would involve authors submitting a biomedical research paper to a central E-biomed server, indicating which journal editorial board should evaluate the paper. If the paper is accepted by that journal, the paper would be posted immediately on the E-biomed Website and then published weeks to months later in the journal. If the paper is not accepted, the authors could then submit the paper to another journal's editorial board. Under a separate mechanism, authors could submit their paper to a review team of two people designated by the E-biomed governing board who have credentials for reviewing the paper. The purpose of this mechanism would be to exclude any "extraneous or outrageous material." Posting under this second mechanism would likely be a less prestigious option, according to Varmus.
Varmus outlined several benefits of the proposed system, including open access to scientific papers, assembly of personalized journals, improved formatting for the publication of modern biology research, more rapid dissemination of scientific information, reduced costs, the potential for additional signed critiques, the potential for a community site with postings of meeting notices and employment opportunities, the potential for posting of presentations from conferences, and the ability to amend reports or update cohort studies. Varmus acknowledged that the proposal raises many issues, including how to guarantee equity, how the plan should be financed and managed, and who should comprise the E-biomed governing board.
There have already been published responses to Varmus' proposal from the editors of the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine. Although these venerable traditional journals may be threatened, the editors welcome an open dialogue and a detailed process for determining potential options. One option would involve a two-and-a-half-year evaluation period. Varmus' full proposal can be viewed at www.thelancet.com/newlancet/reg/nochange/body.nihdiss_1.html.
Varmus, H. E-biomed: a proposal for electronic publications in the biomedical sciences. The Lancet Interactive (www.thelancet.com).
Harvey S. Bartnof, MD, has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation since 1987.
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