Research Publishing and the Evolution of Open Access
The landscape of academic communication has undergone a massive transformation, shifting from traditional print journals to digital, accessible formats. Central to this evolution has been the work of pioneers like Harnad, who sought to democratize knowledge through open access—the practice of providing unrestricted online access to peer-reviewed scholarly research.
Pioneering Digital Research Platforms
Starting in 1978, Harnad established a foundation for modern scholarly communication by founding Behavioral and Brain Sciences, serving as its editor-in-chief until 2002. This commitment to academic dissemination expanded into the digital realm with the creation of Psycoloquy, an early electronic journal sponsored by the American Psychological Association.
To further the reach of scientific data, several electronic archives and forums were developed to allow researchers to share their work more freely:
- CogPrints: An electronic eprint archive dedicated to the cognitive sciences, hosted by the University of Southampton.
- American Scientist Open Access Forum: Established in 1998, this initiative is now known as the Global Open Access List (GOAL).
- EPrints: A system promoting open access self-archiving, allowing authors to make their research available to the public.
Currently, Harnad continues to contribute to the scientific community as the Editor-in-Chief of Animal Sentience, a refereed journal.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Scholarly Skywriting: A New Dimension of Peer Review
Around 1987, Harnad introduced the concept of scholarly skywriting. This method combines multiple emails with topic-threaded web archives—such as Internet forums, electronic mailing lists, netnews, hypermail, or newsgroups—that can be sorted by author, date, or subject-heading threads.
The term is a metaphor: texts are written in the "sky" (via the web archive) for everyone to see (skyreading) and for others to contribute their own comments (skywriting). Harnad proposed this as a form of open peer review, which allows for transparent, public critique of research. It is intended to serve as a supplement to classical peer review rather than a total replacement.
This concept also extends to education through "student skywriting," where the same collaborative, threaded communication is applied within a teaching and learning context.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Key Facts
- Open Access Advocacy: Harnad founded CogPrints and the Global Open Access List (GOAL) to increase research availability.
- Scholarly Skywriting: A system of threaded web archives and emails designed for public academic discourse.
- Peer Review: Skywriting is proposed as a supplement to, not a substitute for, traditional peer review.
- Academic Leadership: Harnad has led publications including Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Animal Sentience.
| Initiative/Concept | Purpose/Description | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| CogPrints | Electronic eprint archive | Focused on cognitive sciences |
| GOAL | Global Open Access List | Formerly American Scientist Open Access Forum |
| Scholarly Skywriting | Threaded web archives | Proposed as open peer review supplement |
| EPrints | Self-archiving system | Promotes open access |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is scholarly skywriting?
Scholarly skywriting is the use of threaded web archives and emails (such as forums or mailing lists) to create a public record of academic discussion that can be sorted by date, author, or subject.
Does scholarly skywriting replace traditional peer review?
No. It was suggested by Harnad as a supplement to classical peer review, providing an additional layer of open, transparent critique.
What is the purpose of CogPrints?
CogPrints serves as an electronic eprint archive specifically for the cognitive sciences, hosted by the University of Southampton to facilitate the sharing of research.
What is the Global Open Access List (GOAL)?
GOAL is the current name of the American Scientist Open Access Forum, which was established in 1998 to promote open access to research.
What is student skywriting?
Student skywriting is the application of the scholarly skywriting method—using threaded digital archives for communication—within a teaching and learning environment.