XML for scientific publishing

Abstract

This article addresses the opportunities that XML can offer to the publishing scientist and explores why there has been such a relatively slow take‐up. XML can revolutionize the way that scientists publish their work, but few publishers have shown enthusiasm for it. This article also describes the development of XML‐based tools and technologies as alternative methods for scholarly communication in several science fields. These methods include combined data and text (datuments), robotic validation and the combination of markup languages. The authors believe that these methods will certainly challenge the current publishing practices and transform the librarian’s role in providing e‐journal services.