Open access publication of scientific research: facts and myths

Abstract

The publishing industry influences the way in which scientific knowledge is disseminated. In the knowledge 'industry' neither the producer nor the consumer has control over the economics and marketing of knowledge. The researcher gives away research data free to the journals, which retain the copyright. The peer reviewers are also not usually paid. Journal subscription rates of scientific, technical and medical (STM) journals in North America have increased 200% over ten years and this is six times more than the inflation rate during that period.