Are the Editors faced with e-problems performing their duties and responsibilities satisfactorily?

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Scholarly Publishing

Background:

• Information technology advancements have revolutionized scholarly publishing, offering new tools for authors, reviewers, and editors.
• While electronic publishing provides numerous facilities, it has also introduced novel challenges and electronic problems (e-problems).

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the emerging e-problems in electronic publishing.
• To discuss the manuscript management system employed by the Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences using a modified Open Journal System.
• To advise editors of smaller journals with resource constraints on managing these technological shifts.

Main Methods:

• Review of current electronic publishing trends and associated challenges.
• Description of a specific manuscript management system (modified Open Journal System) in practice.
• Analysis of the implications for journals with limited financial and human resources.

Main Results:

• Electronic publishing presents both significant advantages and new e-problems for scholarly journals.
• The modified Open Journal System offers a practical approach to manuscript management.
• Gradual adoption of automation is recommended for smaller journals to allow stakeholders to adapt.

Conclusions:

• Editors must stay informed about technological developments in electronic publishing.
• Small journals should implement automation incrementally to facilitate adaptation by authors, reviewers, and staff.
• Successful integration requires a phased approach to new electronic publishing technologies and manuscript management systems.