E‐print archives: a new communication pattern for grey literature

E‐print archives are a new model for the diffusion of scientific information which exploits the interactive characteristics of networked communication. The aim of this paper is to outline current trends in their production and distribution, taking into consideration institutions which provide them and the submission procedures they use. Special attention is attached to differences in the down loading of documents and the updating of archives, as well as the way in which issues such as copyright and peer review are addressed by each archive.