Open access: the need for adaptation

The world of academic publishing is currently discussing if an open-access journal will be the definitive and inevitable model of scientific publication in the near future. Much controversy remains from various aspects, including editors, publishers, and the publishing industry¹-³.

The rapid migration in the recent decades toward electronic information has motivated the parties interested in accelerating the adequacy to the new revolutionary possibilities offered by the Web and the value of original articles online for academic communication. The speeds of information dissemination and the development of new technologies have driven the search for methods for fast access to information. There is no doubt that the provision of novelties and the benefits of research are derived mainly from efficient access to research results.

Thus, the widespread access to information has been strengthened, corroborated by numerous journals that have launched open versions of their publications.

Obviously, this paradigm shift has an associated financial cost, which should be taken into account. If in the past, the reader paid to gain access through subscription or individual access to articles, payment is now made by other sources such as the state, private corporations, or the publisher as payment for publication (in the case of the authors).

Payment to publish by the authors could create conflicts of interest and has a negative impact on the perceived neutrality of the peer review process because of the financial incentives given to the journals for publishing more articles. Therefore, the rules of compliance and ethics in research and publications need to be strengthened and respected with transparency. Accordingly, the importance of the role of the peer review does not diminish but rather increases in an open access model. The editorial structures must be strengthened, and it must be ensured that the reviewers are not unduly influenced by the needs of their editors.

DOV GOLDENBERG

Editor-in-Chief of the RBCP

REFERÊNCIAS

• ¹
  Baker EF, Iserson KV, Aswegan AL, Larkin GL, Derse AR, Kraus CK; American College of Emergency Physicians Ethics Committee. Open Access Medical Journals: Promise, Perils, and Pitfalls. Acad Med. 2018 Dec 18. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002563. [Epub ahead of print]
  » https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002563.
• ²
  Fiala C, Diamandis EP. The democratization of scientific publishing. BMC Med. 2019;17(1):12. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1249-1
  » https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1249-1
• ³
  Wang JZ, Pourang A, Burrall B. Open access medical journals: Benefits and challenges. Clin Dermatol. 2019;37(1):52-55. DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2018.09.010
  » https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2018.09.010

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  29 May 2023
• Date of issue
  2018