The electronic archives we discuss have the potential to increase cultural capital (by including items like "working papers"), shift financial capital through unique distribution systems, and help institutions reimagine social relations. In fact, some scholars and researchers maintain that electronic archives are changing social relations, institutional policy, and even literacy: how we read, what we read, and even what we produce. For instance, electronic archiving can offer a new economic model whereby distribution drives production. The e-print archives build in this possibility by inviting authors, who respond to or are inspired by an article or abstract, to produce new work, which, in turn, will be added to the ever-expanding archive. These professional archives are constructed differently, depending on the end-users, financial considerations, intellectual value, and other factors. While some systems of archiving reflect similar problems and address similar needs (such as library access), others reflect more radical agendas (such as tenure reform and free distribution of intellectual property).


Abstract | Navigating | Overview | TOC | Introduction | Archive | Websites | Refracted | Visions | New Models | Works Cited

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