Information Management in Modern Organizations: Trends & Challenges 938 A Framework for Online Publishing in the University of Malaya Norjihan bt Abdul Ghani Department of Information Science Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Email: norjihan@um.edu.my Suriawati Suparjoh Department of Information System Faculty of Information Technology & Multimedia University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia 86400 Batu Pahat, Malaysia Email: suriawati@kuittho.edu.my Suraya Hamid Department of Information Science Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Email: suraya_hamid@um.edu.my Abstract Scholarly communication activities such as journal publication and technical writings have been enhanced with the utilization of internet technology. Electronic publishing replaced the dissemination of knowledge findings through printed documents. The utilization of electronic publishing concept offers more advantages over the traditional way of communicating knowledge. This study identifies the online publishing technology and capabilities which could support the development of the online publishing system. This paper presents a proposed framework used for developing an Online Publishing in the University of Malaya (OPUM). This proposed framework for OPUM system provides a platform and mechanism for the scholarly communities in UM to communicate within its societies in terms of sharing, extending, exchanging, promoting, debating and distributing their findings, ideas and knowledge via an online publishing system. 1. Introduction The rapid development and innovation in computer and information technology has significantly brought great changes on communication of knowledge and information. Here, we refer communication of knowledge and information as the process of searching, discovering, storing, and disseminating, distributing, sharing and exchange information into useful knowledge. The emergent technology has also shifted a new paradigm for information to be easily distributed and quickly accessed. The paradigm shift in information technology has contributed to the development of electronic publishing (Al-Hawamdeh and Hart, 2002). Electronic publishing as a means of published information in electronically form, replaced the uses of paper with the new medium of storage such as floppy disk, CD ROM and DVD ROM. As quoted from Wills and Wills (1996), electronic publishing is defined as the using of computers in the process of capturing and disseminating knowledge and information. The usage of computers facilitates the communication of knowledge and information with attractive and interactive content features, reduced cost of publication, extended capabilities and flexibilities and high end medium. When Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) technology hits the world in the early 1990s, the function and meaning of electronic publishing has transformed into Internet publishing. Nowadays, with the Internet flexibility and capabilities for easy to access, wide coverage and more creative content presentation, electronic publishing has significantly means online or Internet publishing. It is where news, articles and any kinds of material related to communication of knowledge and information can be easily access through online without limitation. The complex electronic communication system created by Internet has also changed the way academicians informally exchange information and changed the formal scholarly publications activities (Bailey, 1994). Libraries and academicians recognized that the electronic publishing has the potential to support the increasing demand for access to information (Haigh, 1997). Electronic publishing has been also viewed as the new opportunities among the scholars or academicians to distribute and share knowledge effectively. The electronic medium adds more value for research, education and publication in different ways compared to conventional practices. Scholarly works