A War on Research? Or A War on Academic Inequality?

A War on Research? Or A War on Academic Inequality?

Well, not quite a war, but certainly a preliminary battle guaranteed to shake things up.

With the commodification of academic research output comes enhanced inequality. Journals, hosted/owned by global publishing houses, are certainly a grey area, and quite a contentious one at that. Forget paying to have your research published in them – that’s a separate issue; but focus on the access to knowledge, especially in second and third world countries, where Universities are not as well financially endowed as they may be in Australasia, Europe, or North America.

Increasingly high fees to access journals, not only en masse, but for researchers (and research students) to obtain single article access (electronic or reprint), is fast becoming an additional parameter that restricts quality academic development in some societies. With fees of upwards of USD 20 per article access, such costs are out of reach for many emerging researchers in Africa, India, and other countries. Yet, access to the latest research is indeed a necessity, and certainly a costly one.

That is, until a couple (well, more than a couple) of ‘work-around’ options were created – sites to help researchers access downloads of current research (published elsewhere) – free of charge. I’m not delving into the ethics here – but my personal view is in ensuring equitable access to all research for all researchers. Fees are fine, but, in context to the society they are being charged.

These work-around’s though, are now at risk. At risk of being shut down in the very markets that could be argued, need them most. Select ‘Goliath publishing houses’ have collaborated to get court instruction to shut down access to these sites – in a test case that not only challenges the perpetuation of inequalities, but also could put such a spanner in the works to the research machinery, that researchers in these locations may simply be unable to continue.

Regardless your stance, ethical or otherwise, do review the following article which delves further into the issue, not only with more context, but more consequences too.

https://www-newsclick-in.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.newsclick.in/Elsevier-Wiley-Declare-War-Research-Community-India?amp

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