Will Open Access & Open Science Disrupt the Future of Academic Publishing?

There has been an explosion of scientific progress in the last few decades. Thanks to the development of new technologies, we are now closer than ever in overcoming hurdles such as curing cancer and slowing down climate change. Academic publication practices have had to cope with the rapid change in the pace of scientific achievement.

Changing Landscape of Academic Publishing

The commercial interests of academic publishers and the need for research scientists to publish align accordingly with each other. Journals charge subscription and publication fees to meet article processing, management, and other costs. In the past, universities received generous government funding and the relationship between research and publishing was mutually beneficial. However, reductions in research funding have left academic institutions unable to afford increasing publications costs.

Online publishing has kept academic publishing profitable by eliminating the costs associated with producing and distributing a printed journal. Online publications are more accessible than traditionally published articles. This has paved the way for open science and the open access movement.

Read the complete article at Enago Academy