Scholarly Community towards Open Source

Abstract

Scholarly communities are increasingly adopting open source practices in various areas including software, publishing and data analysis. The focus of this article is on the shift towards open source publication, specifically open access publication. Open access publication refers to the practice of making research articles and other scientific outputs freely available to the public through open access repositories or open-access journals. This practice has many benefits including increased visibility, improved access, enhanced collaboration, greater accountability, enhanced education and public understanding. The move towards open access has been driven by various factors including the proliferation of the internet, funder and policymaker requirements, concerns about high journal subscription costs and the availability of open access publishing platforms. Challenges to the adoption of open access include the need for a cultural shift and the potential for loss of income for some publishers. Despite these challenges, open access has the potential to transform the way that research is shared and disseminated, leading to greater impact and collaboration in the scientific community.