Alma Dzib Goodin & Kathleen Slovec
Developing countries has science and
technology as a goal to achieve progress and effective people's transformation,
while in the developed countries the science and technology is a factor of
impact on their economies.
There is no doubt science saves lives,
but it seems the price is high to the economy of scientists whom never gets the
same recognition as sport teams or are paid properly for their work.
What do a scientist do?, ask questions to solve
specific problems or create basic research that solve other problems and a time
that they have done this, their work is to publish their findings.
Publishing means reading other
scientists, because ideas do not emerge from nothing, are confronting models
and theories that allow them to know if their ideas are correct, if not, must
return to the laboratory or the field to continue working, all this is paid by universities,
institutes or laboratories.
These places must provide to scientist
of everything they need, and pay annual
premiums rates for having access to journals and databases that will enable it
to have resources to work. Libraries are well aware of the cost of each of the
magazines and each year they must decide if it is worthwhile or not continue magazine
subscriptions.
If the library does not subscribe to a
specific magazine, the scientist or group of scientists must pay between $36
and $300 dollars for save to a single article. The other option is having acces
for hours, days or months, but the price can be between $20 and $71 dollars. If
an average article require between 50 and 100 references, articles and books,
we are talking about a lot of money invested in a single publication. From here
the science has a cost and very high.
After months, or years of work and
happy with their discoveries, scientist
has three options: If they live in Latin America they can send their article to
journals that do not charge for posting and are often open-free- access. These magazines
work in universities or research institutes, however gratuity has a cost: time.
Submit a paper to a journal in Latin
America requires at least 6 months to receive a response that only says:
"we have received your article or not interested in your article ".
Sometimes those 6 months are just to apologize because "we had not had
chance to review your email and attachment but we will be in touch with
you".
In other occasions that time easily becomes
a year of waiting, after which you can get a message saying: your article is
accepted without modification and will be published as soon as it is possible
(that can be up to 3 years later from this message) or your item requires
modifications, in such case it will be necessary either, never desired message:
“your article not observes our publication criteria”.
In such a case, if researcher had an
idea that was novel or important to the world, after one, two or three years, certainly it lost impact, because
science progresses fast.
Why it takes so much scientific
publications?, simple: the editorial committees are researchers who are not
paid by reading articles, but that this work is part of the ordinary academic
functions that are added to give class, meet alumni and of course publish their
own articles.
But let’s suppose that our research is
so important to look higher and send this article to a magazine out of Latin
America, it must be translated into
English and search a different magazine, those that cost more, let’s say Science. Well first of all, your chances
of being published is 1 in 10, since it is known that 90% of the articles are
rejected, because everybody want to see ideas posted there.
Other magazines have a rate of
rejection between 50% and 70%, think in a high impact journal and have a higher
rejection rate. The rejection does not always occur because it is not a good
article or it did not meticulously check every detail of the study, but because
it does not conform to the editorial policies. Add to the cost time, mental
confusion, because a rejection, is a rejection and it’s painful!.
If accepts that rejection, nobody gonna
you pay to this scientist all those long
working hours, years of research or the multiple disappointments before
publication, no!.
So there are magazines which are
referred as Open Access, which offered free articles to readers, but wait!...
are really free? for whom?
Open Access Journals operate with
stringent editorial committees, remember that magazines take care of their
prestige, and apparently do not reject articles, actually they are very kind to
help make modifications and have much experience in publishing.
This new magazines get the article,
review it, amending and when a message tells you that it is ready for
publication, it seems that the sky shines and his scientific life will benefit,
with a little luck one day our scientist will win a Nobel prize... but wait ...
not so fast, The article must be published first and the cost of publication goes on ranges
from $500 in a little-known magazine to $2900 dollars if you want to see your
name in PLOS Biology, that Yes! Your friends and colleagues will not pay for reading it, but scientist
will have to pay the price of Fame.
Suddenly science becomes a fruitful
business and you don't need to be rocket science to have part of the slice.
Suppose that scientists not published and
that they decide to present their work at conferences and symposium, don't
worry, just have to pay for registration fees to events and of course expenses
for transportation, meals and accommodation, in addition to convince the
University authorities that their research is a priority.
What does cause all this?, in addition
to a helplessness learned for scientists, they are faced with the pressure to
publish and disseminate their work in the quick and easy way, using false
information, making case flies in the face of ethical conduct, leaving the
science in a bad role front society. The most recent case is the National
Institute of Health in the United States, who is accused of not informing
parents about the risk of their children during an investigation.
If the scientist is stopped for a
moment how many times have you seen published articles where the data is
inconsistent with a hypothesis?, so this makes think to students that
everything in science should be perfect,
when it is not.
No doubt the cost of science is big and
the unfortunate thing is that the way of scientific journalism is equally
miserable. Only 1 of 10 scientific journalists receives a salary, so dedicated
to publish without taking much time to check sources. Finally who cares about
science?.
So do not expect to win a Nobel for a
research, because it is worth mentioning that awards are earned by those who
have more known in the high scientific areas, so in addition to research, read
and publishing, scientists must spend time socializing
REFERENCES:
Tredennick, a. (2013)Why I published in PLoS ONE.
And why I probably won't again for awhile.
http://earlycareerecologists.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/why-i-published-in-plos-one-and-why-i-probably-wont-again-for-awhile/
Nature (2013) Beware the impact factor.
Nature Materials. 12 (89) DOI: 10.
1038/nmat3566
Tort ABL, Targino ZH, Amaral OB (2012) Rising Publication
Delays Inflate Journal Impact Factors. PLoS
ONE 7 (12): e53374. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053374
PLoS (WD) Publication Fees. Available at: http://www.plos.org/publish/pricing-policy/publication-fees/
Chambers, C., & Munafo, M. (2013) Trust in science
would be improved by study pre registration. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2013/jun/05/trust-in-science-study-pre-registration?CMP=twt_gu
Knox, R. (2013) NIH chief rejects ethics critique of preemie study. Available at: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/06/189156915/nih-chief-rejects-ethics-critique-of-preemie-study
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