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Steven Krause's new freshman composition textbook, "The Process of Research Writing," is a real bargain for his students: It's free.

Krause, a professor of English at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich., will talk about the trend toward open-source academic publishing during a 2:45-4 p.m. session on Friday, June 19, in room 106 of Wellman Hall at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢ Davis. The panel is part of Computers & Writing 2009, a three-day conference of about 250 U.S. and international writing researchers and instructors. The conference is sponsored by the University Writing Program at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢ Davis.

"It seems inevitable to me that most textbooks are going to be available in some electronic form," says Krause, whose talk is titled "Fast, Free, and On the 'Net: The Story of a Self-Published Textbook."

The trend raises thorny questions, including how authors will be compensated for their time and how open-source publications will be regarded in the academic tenure process.

Other speakers during the session:

* Nick Carbone, a new media consultant at Bedford/St. Martin's, a leading college textbook publisher. Carbone's talk is titled "How College Textbook Publishers Will Thrive in Ubiquity: Or Die Trying."

* Matt Barton, an assistant professor of English at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. Barton will talk about textbook publishing in wiki format -- an option that not only makes textbooks free, but allows students and others to edit and contribute to them.

A complete schedule of presentations at Computers & Writing 2009 is available at .