Public Library of Science launches "author pays" model
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) last week launched PLoS Medicine, an open access journal that will charge authors rather than readers.
PLoS Medicine will be published monthly, primarily as an internet journal (http://medicine.plosjournals.org), although print copies will be available at cost price.
It is the second journal from PLoS to challenge the traditional, subscription funded basis of most medical and science journals, including the BMJ and Lancet. The first, PLoS Biology, was launched last year.
The new journal finances itself by charging authors $1500 per paper published—a fee authors will be expected to budget for in their initial research applications to funding bodies.
Dr Ian Gibson, chairman of the UK parliamentary select committee on science and technology, which recently carried out an investigation into the funding of science publishing, welcomed the initiative.
揟his is an important test case, setting the pace,?he told the audience at the journal抯 launch at the Wellcome Foundation, London, last week. 揑t抯 going to be a real example to people out there.?/p>
Institutions would have to find the money to fund the dissemination of research if people wanted to get published, he acknowledged.
The government抯 response to his committee抯 report, which called for more open access journals, is due to be published next week.
揑 think it is going to be very difficult for the government to deny some of the things we are asking for here,?he said. 揃ut we are not kidding ourselves these things can happen overnight.?/p>
Dr Richard Smith, former editor of the BMJ and now on the board of directors at PLoS, also welcomed the venture, recalling how when he first suggested this funding model to a group of science editors 搕hey looked at me as if I was a complete lunatic.?/p>
But some traditional, print based journals were sometimes taking two years to publish a paper, he said. 揟hat抯 completely insane in the internet age.?He added that the journal, which gives easily understood summaries aimed at patients at the end of each piece of research, would have a 揼reat influence?on patients.
Dr Virginia Barbour, one of the journal抯 four senior editors, said they wanted to do things differently from other medical journals.
揥e want to have a place where people publish papers that you might not see in other medical journals,?she said.
She and the other three senior editors—James Butcher, Barbara Cohen, and Gavin Yamey—want to publish papers of worldwide significance and to reach readers in the developing world who would not otherwise have easy access to subscription journals. Among the papers in the first issue is one looking at the problem of dehydration among children with malaria in Gabon.
The journal has also taken the unusual stance of refusing to accept any advertising from the drug industry and says it will be cautious of research funded by the industry.
揂nything that seems to be simply a marketing tool from the pharmaceutical industry will be given low priority,?said Dr Vivian Seigel, executive director of PLoS.
She said that although the journal has taken some start up funding from the drug industry, including donations from Merck and Genentech, it insisted its sponsors signed a waiver to say the money came with no strings attached (see www.plos.org/support/sponsors.html).(London Lynn Eaton)
PLoS Medicine will be published monthly, primarily as an internet journal (http://medicine.plosjournals.org), although print copies will be available at cost price.
It is the second journal from PLoS to challenge the traditional, subscription funded basis of most medical and science journals, including the BMJ and Lancet. The first, PLoS Biology, was launched last year.
The new journal finances itself by charging authors $1500 per paper published—a fee authors will be expected to budget for in their initial research applications to funding bodies.
Dr Ian Gibson, chairman of the UK parliamentary select committee on science and technology, which recently carried out an investigation into the funding of science publishing, welcomed the initiative.
揟his is an important test case, setting the pace,?he told the audience at the journal抯 launch at the Wellcome Foundation, London, last week. 揑t抯 going to be a real example to people out there.?/p>
Institutions would have to find the money to fund the dissemination of research if people wanted to get published, he acknowledged.
The government抯 response to his committee抯 report, which called for more open access journals, is due to be published next week.
揑 think it is going to be very difficult for the government to deny some of the things we are asking for here,?he said. 揃ut we are not kidding ourselves these things can happen overnight.?/p>
Dr Richard Smith, former editor of the BMJ and now on the board of directors at PLoS, also welcomed the venture, recalling how when he first suggested this funding model to a group of science editors 搕hey looked at me as if I was a complete lunatic.?/p>
But some traditional, print based journals were sometimes taking two years to publish a paper, he said. 揟hat抯 completely insane in the internet age.?He added that the journal, which gives easily understood summaries aimed at patients at the end of each piece of research, would have a 揼reat influence?on patients.
Dr Virginia Barbour, one of the journal抯 four senior editors, said they wanted to do things differently from other medical journals.
揥e want to have a place where people publish papers that you might not see in other medical journals,?she said.
She and the other three senior editors—James Butcher, Barbara Cohen, and Gavin Yamey—want to publish papers of worldwide significance and to reach readers in the developing world who would not otherwise have easy access to subscription journals. Among the papers in the first issue is one looking at the problem of dehydration among children with malaria in Gabon.
The journal has also taken the unusual stance of refusing to accept any advertising from the drug industry and says it will be cautious of research funded by the industry.
揂nything that seems to be simply a marketing tool from the pharmaceutical industry will be given low priority,?said Dr Vivian Seigel, executive director of PLoS.
She said that although the journal has taken some start up funding from the drug industry, including donations from Merck and Genentech, it insisted its sponsors signed a waiver to say the money came with no strings attached (see www.plos.org/support/sponsors.html).(London Lynn Eaton)