Challenging the Scientific Publishing Industry & its "Perverse and Needless" Business Model

The scientific publishing industry has been criticized for its "perverse and needless" business model.

• This model involves scientists creating work under government funding and providing it to publishers for free. 

• The publisher then sells the product back to institutions at a high price, despite most of the editorial burden being done by working scientists on a volunteer basis. 

• This arrangement has made scientific research often inaccessible to the general public due to the high cost of accessing academic journals. As a result, many have called for a change in the publishing industry to make scientific research more accessible and affordable for everyone.

This system is often called a "triple-pay" system since the state funds research, pays the salaries of those checking quality control, and buys most published products. However, scientists know they are getting an unfair deal in this situation. 

Scientists argue that the current system benefits publishers more than researchers, as publishers charge high fees for access to their journals and publications. However, this can make it difficult for researchers to access the information they need to conduct their work and can also limit the impact of their research. As a result, there is growing interest in alternative models of publishing that prioritize open access and affordability.

Critics contend that the scientific publishing industry could operate more efficiently and lower costs, promoting scientific progress. The current system involves publishers receiving raw materials from customers, typically scientists, and then requiring them to perform quality control themselves before selling the same materials back at inflated prices. This arrangement excludes the scientific publishing industry and is not observed in any other industry. The criticism is that this process could be streamlined and made more cost-effective, benefiting scientific progress.

Despite the profitability of the scientific publishing industry, there are concerns about its potential impact on science. 

For example, focusing on profit could lead to prioritizing publishing research that is more likely to generate revenue than research that is most important for advancing scientific knowledge. This could ultimately be detrimental to the scientific community as a whole. 

Therefore, it is essential to consider the potential consequences of the financial incentives in scientific publishing and ensure that the pursuit of profit does not come at the expense of scientific progress.

A few major players, including Elsevier, have long dominated the academic publishing industry. However, there have been increasing calls for disruption and change within the industry recently. Despite initial skepticism towards these calls, competition has increased, and pressure has mounted on companies to adapt their practices or risk losing relevance altogether.

Elsevier, one of the largest publishers in the scientific journal industry, primarily operates by providing a platform for scientists to share their research results with a narrow audience. Despite the narrow audience, Elsevier can generate significant profit margins from this core operation. The profitability of scientific publishing has raised questions about its potential impact on science, and it is essential to consider the potential consequences of the financial incentives involved.

In response to these concerns, many universities worldwide have established institutional repositories where faculty members can deposit copies of their published works free of cost so they may be accessed more easily online without having paywalls blocking them off entirely. Additionally, several initiatives, such as Plan S, aimed to make all publicly funded research available via Open Access platforms within specific timeframes after publication.

The scientific publishing industry plays a crucial role in the academic world by providing researchers access to peer-reviewed articles and studies for advancing knowledge in various fields. However, it is vital to ensure that the pursuit of profit does not come at the expense of scientific progress. As such, there is growing interest in alternative models of publishing that prioritize open access and affordability.