This paper examines the part overlay journals can play in developing new roles for repositories in the
scholarly communication process. This requires that we answer some outstanding questions about
the overlay journal model:
· How are overlay journals distinct from other overlay services and other journals?
· What business models are applicable?
· What opportunities do overlay journals offer to repositories?
And, perhaps most importantly:
· What value can an overlay journal bring to the process of scholarly communication?
As a result of the answer to the first of these questions, this paper gives a definition of an overlay
journal as an entity that performs all the activities of a scholarly journal and relies on structural links
with one or more archives or repositories to perform its activities. It finds that the overlay journals
that already exist use a variety of business models, which means that repositories can engage with
overlay journals in many different ways. Research and practice show that overlay journals offer new
possibilities for publishers, repositories, authors and readers alike, and as such have a great deal to
offer to scholarly communication
