The Internet has proved itself to be a democratizing force for a range of human endeavors, such as the simple act of selling a car or the complex task of shaming a repressive government. Could it also be leveling the playing field in scientific research?

A study led by Waverly W. Ding, an assistant professor of business at the University of California at Berkeley, suggests that it is.

For their research, Ms. Ding and colleagues at Georgia State University and the University of Missouri at St. Louis compared user data involving Bitnet, an Internet forerunner established by Yale University and the City University of New York, and the Domain Name System, which is the naming protocol currently used to identify addresses on the Internet.

Their findings, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, are based on a random sample of 3,771 life scientists from 430 U.S. institutions over a 2...

The scientific journal of the future has arrived! Perhaps.

Elsevier, the world’s largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, announced this week that its Cell Press division had begun an “Article of the Future” project in which its online presentations will take fuller advantage of Web-based technologies.

That means the articles will include a greater use of graphical illustrations and a hierarchical presentation of text and figures, letting readers click through to increasingly detailed presentations. The format also allows for the possibility of audio and video presentations to accompany peer-reviewed articles from scientists.

It’s part of an effort to develop “new and improved ways to help scientists present and navigate the literature,” said Emilie Marcus, editor in chief at Cell Press.

It’s not immediately clear, however, how much convincing it might take to get scientists...

Washington — Many industries would like increased federal support and freedom from government regulation.

After three years of study, a panel appointed by the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that the nation’s information-technology industry is no different.

The academy’s National Research Council commissioned the study, beginning in 2006, to look at how U.S. leadership in information technology — from the development of the Internet to the expansion of broadband phone service — has fueled the growth of the overall economy, and what should be done to sustain that growth.

The council formed the 12-member panel of industry and academic leaders — including experts from the University of California, Stanford...