ABSTRACT
Reference publishing has been particularly challenged but digital technology and the rise of the internet in providing opportunities to access large databases easily and at low or no cost. This chapter briefly explores the impact on consumer reference such as Encyclopaedia Britannica before focusing on the professional publishing sector which transformed quickly into the digital environment and developed new types of products, new pricing mechanisms and new types of relationships with customers. It covers the way products in this sector first evolved as well as explores current product development for databased products and the related user experience issues. It concludes with an exploration of the development of innovative and integrated new products as well as service-oriented approaches for the market.
