Electronic Publishing: A Boon or a Bugbear




(1)
Department of Radiology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

 



Abstract

An abruptly imposed technological change is almost always both liberating and unsettling. Invariably, it is accompanied by the emergence of at least four stereotypical mindsets that inform positions taken during public debates about the value of the innovation. Inevitably, such discussions are characterized by confusion, discord and disagreement, often displayed with rancor. In essence, the impress of rapid and profound technological initiatives frequently induces the same roiling controversy that Thomas Kuhn described in his analysis of scientific revolutions. When the presumption of “normal” is disrupted by a major discovery, uncertainty and discontent emerge until a new paradigm is established. That paradigm in turn holds sway until the next revolution.


An abruptly imposed technological change is almost always both liberating and unsettling. Invariably, it is accompanied by the emergence of at least four stereotypical mindsets that inform positions taken during public debates about the value of the innovation. Inevitably, such discussions are characterized by confusion, discord and disagreement, often displayed with rancor. In essence, the impress of rapid and profound technological initiatives frequently induces the same roiling controversy that Thomas Kuhn described in his analysis of scientific revolutions [1]. When the presumption of “normal” is disrupted by a major discovery, uncertainty and discontent emerge until a new paradigm is established. That paradigm in turn holds sway until the next revolution.

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Apr 27, 2016 | Posted by in GENERAL RADIOLOGY | Comments Off on Electronic Publishing: A Boon or a Bugbear

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