Researchers have good or excellent access to scientific information, finds new survey
An international survey carried out among 4,000 scientific and medical research authors from 97 countries has found that the majority of researchers around the world are satisfied with their level of access to the scientific and medical journals. The survey, carried out by the Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research (CIBER) at City University, London, asked authors how they rated their level of access today compared with five years ago. More than 75 per cent of the people interviewed said they felt that journal access is now better, while over 50 per cent stated it is 'much better' than it was five years ago. 'The [...] study not only showed that most researchers feel they have good or excellent access to scientific publications, but it also showed that quality and integrity of scientific and medical publications is of the utmost importance to them,' said Graham Taylor of the UK Publishers' Association, who initiated the study. 'The authors want the imprimatur of quality and integrity that a peer-reviewed, high-impact title can offer, together with reasonable levels of publisher service,' states the report. Authors, did, however, express some concern about an arrangement where authors would be required to pay for the publication of their research. Most of the researchers interviewed said they believed the quality would decline under an author-pay model rather than improve.