Electronic journals — past, present … and future?

Many people have suggested that the electronic journal would solve several of the problems experienced with paper journals. However, although technology has developed apace, the commercial electronic journal seems to be slow to develop. It is now over ten years since the first electronic journal experiments began, so perhaps it is time to take stock of what we have learned so far. The present paper will therefore begin by looking at some of the projects which have finished, mention some current projects and then point to some remaining problems and issues which must be addressed if the electronic journal is ever to become a regular feature in the scholarly communication process.