Science’s pirate queen
Frankly, scientific publishers represent institutionalised theft of tax payer money:<p>- Academics (most often publicly funded via grants and university salaries) do the work for free.<p>- They are expected to learn to use LaTeX and to typeset their work for free.<p>- They are expected to copy-edit the papers for free, or else pay a copy editor themselves with, you guessed it, public funds.<p>- Volunteer Academics (on university time and therefore, again, public money) are expected to review the work for technical accuracy and novelty. If done well this is <i>extremely</i> time consuming.<p>- Finally, the Journals have the temerity to charge the same universities who produce their product <i>millions</i> of pounds a year in journal subscriptions and Open Access fees.<p>- Finally finally, none of the Authors are <i>ever</i> paid for their work. Not that it matters, because again: public funding should mean public access.<p>The most frustrating part is that Academics themselves are locked into this system by the career prospects conferred by prestigious journals/conferences.<p>I’m not normally one for beating the “nationalise them” drum, but if there has ever been a case for businesses to be dismantled and put in public hands it’s these parasites.<p>Sincerely, a Scientist :-)