Science on the internet serving everyone?

Abstract

Editorial policies have changed gradually during the last decade. Before the advent of the internet and the digital formats, scientific information reached the scientific community through institutional libraries that received the periodicals by subscription. These subscriptions were expensive but the prices were compatible with the whole structure needed to produce, print and distribute paper periodicals. Other periodicals, generally of minor importance, could be distributed for free, and their costs were covered by annual membership fees from some association. Some received money from advertising and from scientific agencies to cover the expenses. The invention of the internet and the possibility it offered to distribute digital information seemed to be the perfect opportunity to democratize information, since it would make it possible, at least in theory, to reduce considerably the periodical production and distribution costs. In spite of this, electronic subscriptions are not cheaper, and many times are more expensive than the printed versions. Nowadays, most electronic journals are sold in separate papers and the articles cost around 40 US dollars each. Considering 12 volumes per year, containing 10 papers each, and the subscription would cost around 4,800 US dollars p.a. More recently the new vending method is the production of the so-called “open-access” papers which are in fact paid by the authors for the promess of many citations. From several hundreds to a few thousand dollars the author may make available on the web the results of his research for free download. This should be called “sponsored-access” instead. This policy benefits the journals and also a few countries, institutions or scientists who can afford it, since huge amounts of money are required. The poorest countries get excluded once more. Fortunately there are true “open-access” journals and those who collect symbolic fees to maintain themselves independent from exclusively volunteer work. Even better is the creation of scientific digital libraries like Scielo which is 15 years old and gathers today 12 countries from South and Central Americas plus Portugal and now South Africa. This kind of initiative should be recognized and be more valued by the scientific community, especially by ours that is still too attached to foreign indexes that seem to be world’s only scientific guides. This is the way to create a virtuous cycle that shall lead to a gradual enhancement in quality and to an efficient divulgation, and, more important: really free of the scientific work in Brazil and in other countries in a similar situation. Gregoire Jean-Francois Demets Associate Editor (Orbital)