The Progression of Digital Publishing

Innovation and the E-volution of E-books

John Warren

ResearchPublished Jun 22, 2010

E-books are beginning to emerge from their incunabula stage. While some may think of an e-book as just an electronic image of a paper product, others have used the electronic format to broaden the spectrum of publishing in the digital age. This paper examines three innovative examples that demonstrate the potential and challenges of electronic publications. The first is an online resource providing information on the U.S. health care system, descriptions of policy proposals, and an interactive microsimulation model that estimates the effects of commonly proposed policy changes. The second example is a digital novel utilizing text, sound, images, and gaming in storytelling. The third is a survey of efforts to create digital textbooks with online study resources. Each case study provides insight into the possible future of the e-book.

Posted here with permission from The International Journal of the Book, Volume 7, Number 4, pp. 37–53. Copyright © 2010 Common Ground Publishing.

Topics

Document Details

  • Copyright: Common Ground
  • Publisher: Common Ground Publishing
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2010
  • Pages: 22
  • Document Number: RP-1411

Originally published in: The International Journal of the Book, Volume. 7, Number. 4, pp. 37–53, 2010.

This publication is part of the RAND reprint series. The reprint series, a product of RAND from 1992 to 2011, included previously published journal articles, book chapters, and reports that were reproduced by RAND with the permission of the publisher. RAND reprints were formally reviewed in accordance with the publisher's editorial policy and compliant with RAND's rigorous quality assurance standards for quality and objectivity. For select current RAND journal articles, see external publications.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.