Medical and other research journals have been slow to adopt the new possibilities of the Internet and “Web 2.0”. For most journals the online articles are essentially electronic facsimiles of the traditional print versions. Added possibilities are mostly limited to, for example, online supplementary content or the ability to add comments. Few journals have really taken advantage of the technical possibilities or have added any truly innovative features. Cell Press, publisher of several high impact medical journals, is now running a project called Article of the Future that is an ongoing collaboration with the scientific community to redefine how the scientific article is presented online. The project aims to take full advantage of online capabilities, allowing readers individualized entry points and routes through the content, while using the latest advances in visualization techniques. The developers have already created a tabbed and hyper-linked interface that integrates innovative features such as a graphical abstract and highlights, a data tab with a filmstrip of thumbnails of all figures in the article, and zoomable figures. The concept has already been through several prototypes and feedback is welcomed. An overview is given below and a sample article can be viewed by clicking the link below.
Beta site: Cell Beta…
Sample article: Monoacylglycerol Lipase Regulates a Fatty Acid Network that Promotes Cancer Pathogenesis