It’s ‘great’ along the same lines as if the US gov announced paying all citizens insurance premiums for 3 years. Sure, more would temporarily have access to a service they should already permanently have access to, but in reality it shines a spotlight on how serious the problem is.
India paid $55k per journal for 3 years access… to knowledge. Knowledge that the journals did nothing to accrue themselves. If you can make that make sense then sure it is a good thing in that it is better than not having access at all or for a more egregious cost.
Now that you mention it, this I’d actually, truly, insane. $55k?! Per journal? Goddamn that’s a lot of money. And I would assume little to no money would reach the actual researchers who spent months and years working in this.
little to no money would reach the actual researchers who spent months and years working in this.
Researchers often pay to get reviewed/published. Typically due to the Journal being open access, but often for things like ‘expedited review’.
Regardless, they don’t get paid for the article, relying on donations or grants to fund the research (with publication costs included in the proposal).
It’s ‘great’ along the same lines as if the US gov announced paying all citizens insurance premiums for 3 years. Sure, more would temporarily have access to a service they should already permanently have access to, but in reality it shines a spotlight on how serious the problem is.
India paid $55k per journal for 3 years access… to knowledge. Knowledge that the journals did nothing to accrue themselves. If you can make that make sense then sure it is a good thing in that it is better than not having access at all or for a more egregious cost.
Now that you mention it, this I’d actually, truly, insane. $55k?! Per journal? Goddamn that’s a lot of money. And I would assume little to no money would reach the actual researchers who spent months and years working in this.
Researchers often pay to get reviewed/published. Typically due to the Journal being open access, but often for things like ‘expedited review’.
Regardless, they don’t get paid for the article, relying on donations or grants to fund the research (with publication costs included in the proposal).
Wow. I can’t even begin to imagine how broken the system has to be when the people on whose shoulders we stand, work on donations and grants.