Interesting People mailing list archives
Scientific Publishing -- Crisis?
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:41:08 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: David Lesher <wb8foz () nrk com> Date: August 5, 2004 3:23:14 PM EDT To: farber () cis upenn edu (David Farber) Subject: Scientific Publishing -- Crisis? Reply-To: wb8foz () nrk com [Note the parallel between RFC's and $$ ITU/IEEE standards...]X-URL: http://www.economist.com/science/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=3061258
Aug 5th 2004 From The Economist print edition Scientific publishing is having to change rapidly to respond to growing pressure for free access to published research In a letter penned in 1676, Isaac Newton famously wrote, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." Although it is debatable whether Newton was being modest or making a barbed comment towards his correspondent (a competitor of short stature) the phrase epitomises views of how science progresses--with the speedy and open publishing of discoveries so that others may make use of them to push back the frontiers of human understanding. For centuries, printed journals destined for university libraries have been the focus of this publishing activity. The winds of change, though, are sweeping through these quiet and dusty corridors. Because of the internet, cost and distance are no longer barriers to providing the results of research to more than just a restricted and privileged few. This is leading people to ask why those results are not, in fact, freely available to all. ......... ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- Scientific Publishing -- Crisis? David Farber (Aug 05)