Access to information is crucial for science.

摘要

The efforts made by The Lancet to highlight the issue of access to scientific literature should be lauded. We have previously highlighted the dangers of attempts to copyright science. Medical journal publishers are indeed a privileged lot. They profit from the creativity of scientists without paying for the intellectual contribution. Peer review is a cornerstone of medical publication, and that too comes free. If these were works of fiction, authors would be negotiating a royalty fee. With the open-access publishing movement still in its infancy we need to consider other options. One option is for professional associations to publish medical journals and allow free access to research contents after a time lag. Already leading journals such as the BMJ, British journal of Psychiatry, and New England Journal of A/led/cine adopt this model. The number of journals published by such organisations would have to be increased substantially if it is to have a noticeable effect. The enormous profits made by medical publishers show that professional organisations can develop a model of medical publishing providing free access and still be financially viable.