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The issue of publication prices (in this case books, but the issue is 
similar) 
recently came on a mathematics history list.  See 
http://www.chasque.apc.org/jgc/historia.html the main archive or 
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/epigone/historia_matematica/lebrermhil/3A23236A.B2B589F@earthl
ink.net for the specific post (you may have to paste the address back
together) One of the comments is ironic, given the sentiments above. 
 
"There are only two ways to combat this. One is to boycott Kluwer--Reed 
Elsevier, the other international scientific publishing conglomerate is 
much 
better about their pricing and their copying rules are less draconian then 
Kluwer's." 
 
For various reasons; in particular, cost and speed, electronic publishing, 
by 
scholars for scholars, seems logical. Perhaps the key barrier is getting 
such 
publications valued by the profession. In the same sense that scholars 
prefer 
their work be published in the most prestigious journals, they could prefer 
an 
electronic forum, with the proper structure and credentials. Certainly, the 
process of peer review and circulation could be sped up greatly, compacting 
the 
time required for spread of knowledge. Meanwhile, peer review comparable to 
that of print journals should protect quality. 
 
Two entirely electronic journals that I am aware of are "edreview" and 
"Journal 
of Statistics Education" Interested parties may want to contact the editors 
at 
http://coe.asu.edu/edrev/  and http://www.amstat.org/publications/jse/ 
 
Mike Robison 
 
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