Open Access Initiative �BOAI) was formally launched �Noble, 2002). The

A] paperless system would significantly reduce delays in all aspects of the dissemination cycle. The composition process itself should be speeded up and so should the whole interaction among writers, publishers, and referees (Lan-caster, 1978, p. 127). The BOAI is a public statement and plan of action that calls for``open access to peer-reviewed research articles in all academic fields and the preprints that might precede them.'' Open access is characterized by the free availability on the public Internet of peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as non-reviewed preprints of potential interest to the scholarly community (Open Society Institute, 2002). The BOAI endorses two strategies for achieving its overall goal: (1) author self-archiving and commitment to offering open access to the full content of publications; and (2) the establishment of``a new generation of journals'' (eprints.org, n.d.). The first strategy advocates that authors deposit a digital copy of their publications or pre-publications in a publicly accessible Web site, while the second calls for the founding of new research journals that do not charge for a subscription or impose access fees In an effort to provide and promote open and wide dissemination of articles, the BOAI proposes that new journals no longer invoke copyright to restrict access or use of journal content. To cover the necessary costs of production and access, the BOAI advocates other funding strategies, including organizational and institutional support, endowments, gifts, page charges, or use of monies that would be made available by the demise or cancellation of journals charging traditional subscription or access fees. Significant savings can be expected for open-access journals by publishing only online and by dispensing with the costs associated with managing subscriptions of authorized and unauthorized access (Suber, 2002). In addition, free or affordable software for electronic journal publishing would also reduce the cost and expedite the production of open-access journals (Suber, 2002). In recent years, a variety of experimental and commercial systems have been developed that facilitate the management and review of scholarly manuscripts for electronic and paper publication. Among the established and recent Web-based systems are: .