Create Change
Shouldn't the way we share research be as advanced as the Internet?
New Modes
Change and scholarly journals
In science, journals have long been the glue that binds a multifaceted system of scholarly communication. In the humanities and social sciences, monographs play a similar role.
Today most scholarly journals (and a small but growing number of monographs) are distributed on the Internet. Yet despite the opportunity to put information in front of every potential user, access to most journals is still limited to subscribers — just as it was when journals were invented some 350 years ago.
In contrast, many informal aspects of scholarly exchange — taking place within the so-called “invisible college” — have been far more dynamic than the formal and deeply entrenched publishing process.
More from New Modes
Despite the opportunity to put information in front of every potential user, access to most journals is still limited to subscribers.
Given the limitations of relying solely on fee-access journals to disseminate scholarly articles, it’s logical that there are now new options that permit expanded use
Scholars can gain tremendous professional benefits from expanded dissemination of their work.
With all the benefits of more open sharing of research, why hasn’t change proceeded more rapidly? There are a number of factors holding things back.
Create Change was developed by the Association of Research Libraries and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and is supported by the Association of College and Research Libraries
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