Science’s pirate queen
Frankly, scientific publishers represent institutionalised theft of tax payer money:- Academics (most often publicly funded via grants and university salaries) do the work for free.- They are expected to learn to use LaTeX and to typeset their work for free.- They are expected to copy-edit the papers for free, or else pay a copy editor themselves with, you guessed it, public funds.- 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 extremely time consuming.- Finally, the Journals have the temerity to charge the same universities who produce their product millions of pounds a year in journal subscriptions and Open Access fees.- Finally finally, none of the Authors are ever paid for their work. Not that it matters, because again: public funding should mean public access.The most frustrating part is that Academics themselves are locked into this system by the career prospects conferred by prestigious journals/conferences.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.Sincerely, a Scientist :-)