The University of California (UC), the largest public academic system in the US, is ending its $11 million subscription to Elsevier, the world’s biggest and most influential publisher of academic researcher. Perhaps this seems like an insane move by such a renowned university, but it’s a move driven by principle: The UC system doesn’t want scientific knowledge locked up behind paywalls, and thinks the costs of academic publishing have grown out of control. Another major problem with journals such as Elsevier is that they somehow get away with not paying for the research that they publish. Now the question is: how will the UC system and other academic systems replace major publishers? The most promising option being championed these days is to create a new system that provides open access to journal articles. That means articles are free to read—with researchers only having to pay journals a fee for covering the costs of publishing. For publishers, it means changing their business model from charging readers to charging authors. As to whether the most prestigious journals, such as Nature and Science, will budge has yet to be seen.
Academic publishing is absurdly expensive—but soon it could be free
More of Today's Solutions
The silk solution: why surgeons are turning to spiders to repair nerve injuries
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Spider silk has always had a certain reputation: impossibly strong, faintly magical, and mostly reserved for nature documentaries ...
Read MoreDoes dark showering help you sleep better? Experts explain the viral bedtime ...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Scrolling through social media lately, you may have stumbled upon a surprisingly simple sleep hack: turning off the ...
Read More4 ways to boost your physical, mental, and social well-being
Recently, life has certainly been stressful, but if you’ve been feeling particularly on edge in recent days, it might just be time to make ...
Read MoreNeed a mood boost? Consider drinking apple cider vinegar
Need a mood boost? Consider drinking apple cider vinegar Vinegar’s effect on mood A team of researchers from Arizona State University had already studied ...
Read More
