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Should All Research Papers Be Free?

nytimes.com

1–10 of 327 posts

Re: Should All Research Papers Be Free?

#3
I am still willing to pay for a high-quality printed version of research journals, but for the online access I think we should simply give away because research knowledge should belong in the public domain when you choose to publish the knowledge with a research journal. You are not publishing a paper within your 4x4 walled intrnaet.

But I get it. There is a business cost behind running a journal / magazine (although not all reputable one charge fees!). So here is the radical question: why the fuck do we need 100+ CS-related journal publishers out there? All we need is one.

Re: Should All Research Papers Be Free?

#4
post #3

I am still willing to pay for a high-quality printed version of research journals, but for the online access I think we should simply give away because research knowledge should belong in the public domain when you choose to publish the knowledge with a research journal. You are not publishing a paper within your 4x4 walled intrnaet. But I get it. There is a business cost behind running a journal / magazine (although…

> So here is the radical question: why the fuck do we need 100+ CS-related journal publishers out there? All we need is one.

I don't get it. You want it to be monopoly?

Re: Should All Research Papers Be Free?

#6
Something I'd like to see here: results published in research papers aggregated and released as open data.

There must be a lot of interesting meta-analyses that aren't getting done because the necessary data is locked away behind paywalls, and usually not in an easily machine readable format into the bargain.

Re: Should All Research Papers Be Free?

#7
All everything 'should' be free. At least, that which is not scarce.

The correct question to ask is 'can' all research papers be free - does the world continue to spin, will research still happen, will we still progress, if they are free?

The only reason we even have this debate to begin with is because the producers of this information require scarce/controlled resources in order to survive.

Re: Should All Research Papers Be Free?

#9
post #3

I am still willing to pay for a high-quality printed version of research journals, but for the online access I think we should simply give away because research knowledge should belong in the public domain when you choose to publish the knowledge with a research journal. You are not publishing a paper within your 4x4 walled intrnaet. But I get it. There is a business cost behind running a journal / magazine (although…

> So here is the radical question: why the fuck do we need 100+ CS-related journal publishers out there? All we need is one. I don't get it. You want it to be monopoly?

It need not be a monopoly even if there is only one. It could be a decentralized single entity along the lines of usenet with a whole pile of people contributing and there being only one major distribution network.
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