Towards an open science publishing platform.

Vitek Tracz,Rebecca Lawrence

doi:10.12688/f1000research.7968.1

Abstract

The way science and research is done is rapidly becoming more open and collaborative. The traditional way of publishing new findings in journals is becoming increasingly outdated and no longer serves the needs of much of science. Whilst preprints can bring significant benefits of removing delay and selection, they do not go far enough if simply implemented alongside the existing journal system. We propose that we need a new approach, an Open Science Platform, that takes the benefits of preprints but adds formal, invited, and transparent post-publication peer review. This bypasses the problems of the current journal system and, in doing so, moves the evaluation of research and researchers away from the journal-based Impact Factor and towards a fairer system of article-based qualitative and quantitative indicators. In the long term, it should be irrelevant where a researcher publishes their findings. What is important is that research is shared and made available without delay within a framework that encourages quality standards and requires all players in the research community to work as collaborators.

Highlights

The way science and research is done is evolving rapidly
The change is characterised by more open, collaborative and networked ways of sharing information and making discoveries. This change is being driven by recognition of the profound benefits to the pace of scientific progress that can be brought by collaboration and ready exchange of ideas between and beyond disciplines and sectors
An essential part of this is to ensure that scientific findings are open and available for scrutiny, rapidly accessible, and discoverable for others to use and build upon

Summary

Introduction

The way science and research is done is evolving rapidly. The change is characterised by more open, collaborative and networked ways of sharing information and making discoveries. The elements combined together into a single platform as described above has already been developed and is in active use by thousands of scientists through F1000 Grant information The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work

Chalmers L

13. The Reckoning

Reference Source

30. San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment