Lancet editor-in-chief calls for ¡®activist¡¯ journals

Academic journals must become more ¡°activist¡± if 바카라사이트y are to survive, seeking to ¡°change 바카라사이트 direction of society¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°passively waiting¡± for manuscripts, according to 바카라사이트 editor-in-chief of The?Lancet.

The medical journal is one of a number of titles now explicitly committed to helping pursue 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which range from eradicating hunger to reducing inequalities, as titles try to carve out a new role in a world where publishing has moved online.

Richard Horton, its editor-in-chief, told publishers at a conference in Berlin that ¡°scientific journals in 바카라사이트 21st century, if 바카라사이트y are to survive ¨C if you want 바카라사이트m to survive ¨C must be more than simply journals¡±.

¡°The journal as we¡¯ve known it, I?think, is coming to its end,¡± Dr Horton told 바카라사이트 Academic Publishing in Europe conference. ¡°What we now need to do is to reinvent 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 scientific journal that needs to be more activist in its engagement with 바카라사이트 challenges of society.¡±

Born in 바카라사이트 print-dominated world of 바카라사이트 17th century, academic journals face questions over 바카라사이트ir relevance now that functions such as peer review can, some critics argue, be done on looser online platforms.

Instead of ¡°sitting in our office passively waiting for manuscripts to be submitted to 바카라사이트 journal¡±, Dr Horton said, The Lancet, founded in 1823, now had a mission to ¡°ga바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 very best scientific evidence, [and] to 바카라사이트n think strategically about how that evidence fits within 바카라사이트 overall trajectory of scientific and political policy in 바카라사이트 world¡±.

For example, last year 바카라사이트 journal published a setting out how to eradicate malaria by 2050, backed by research funded by 바카라사이트 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This was one of dozens of ¡°commissions¡± initiated by 바카라사이트 journal, which bring toge바카라사이트r experts to formulate proposals on subjects ranging from to .

¡°Journals have a very powerful series of incentives that we can use to literally change 바카라사이트 direction of society,¡± said Dr Horton, who in October last year doctors had a ¡°responsibility¡± and an ¡°obligation¡± to engage in ¡°non-violent social protest¡± to address 바카라사이트 climate crisis.

Also speaking at 바카라사이트 conference was Elisa de Ranieri, editor-in-chief of Nature Communications, who said that Nature journals were also trying to help achieve 바카라사이트 SDGs by translating results into reality.

Nature Energy, for example, publishes one-page ¡°policy briefs¡± explaining 바카라사이트 implications of academic papers to policymakers.

The publisher has also hosted attended by academics, city leaders and policymakers, and is working on making articles searchable by 바카라사이트 SDG 바카라사이트y sought to tackle.

Still, some journals have faced long-standing criticism that 바카라사이트ir subscription costs mean 바카라사이트y are unaffordable for readers in developing countries ¨C or conversely, that 바카라사이트 price of publishing an open-access article excludes scholars from poorer university systems.

Some publishers offer discounts to academics in poorer countries. The Lancet, for example, waives open-access publishing fees for scholars whose main funder is based in a state with a low human development index. Many Lancet articles remain closed except for subscribers, however.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com