Commentary: Access to the scientific and medical literature in the developing world
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Articles Commentary: Access to the Scientific and Medical Literature in the Developing World Received for publication, March 17, 2005 Ed Wood‡ From the School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom To provide up to date education (as well as to carry out research), it is necessary to have access to current and archived scientific literature. We in the rich, developed countries are now highly privileged. We can access most of the journals we need on-line in an instant (and we have funds for purchasing textbooks). However, the provision of journal subscriptions on-line is actually very expensive because journal publishers have sought to maintain their profitability from journal subscriptions when people and libraries no longer want hard copy. There are many advan- tages to the use of electronic access including the imme- diacy as well as the savings in printing and postage, to say nothing of the reduced paper usage, protecting the world’s forests. However, in the developing world things are not so simple. Journal access has always been a problem, not only because of cost but also because of long delays in postal systems and sometimes chaotic library arrange- ments and lack of availability of back runs of journals. At the present time, we have a paradox. Journal access on- line should be easily available worldwide through the In- ternet, but this only works if you have the money to pay the publishers and also if you have a computer. There are two aspects to this. Computer equipment is actually rather cheap compared with scientific and medical equipment because it is produced in such vast quantities. Conse- quently, many universities around the world have a rea- sonably adequate provision. It is more often the case that power back-outs and brown-outs are the problem in keep- ing on-line and using the Internet. Servicing is also a problem. There are many examples where universities have trained technicians in computer and electronic ser- vicing only to have such people leave and get jobs “in town” where they can earn a whole lot more money to support their families. As time goes on, one hopes that the situation will im- prove. Meanwhile initiatives are being taken by individuals and learned societies to make scientific and medical liter- ature available to colleagues in the developing world. Two such initiatives are described briefly in this issue by Mau- rice Long from the publishers of the British Medical Journal. ‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed: School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. E-mail: [email protected]. © 2005 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION Printed in U.S.A. Vol. 33, No. 3, p. 208, 2005 This paper is available on line at http://www.bambed.org 208
Transcript of Commentary: Access to the scientific and medical literature in the developing world
Articles
Commentary: Access to the Scientific and Medical Literature in theDeveloping World
Received for publication, March 17, 2005
Ed Wood‡
From the School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
To provide up to date education (as well as to carry outresearch), it is necessary to have access to current andarchived scientific literature. We in the rich, developedcountries are now highly privileged. We can access mostof the journals we need on-line in an instant (and we havefunds for purchasing textbooks). However, the provision ofjournal subscriptions on-line is actually very expensivebecause journal publishers have sought to maintain theirprofitability from journal subscriptions when people andlibraries no longer want hard copy. There are many advan-tages to the use of electronic access including the imme-diacy as well as the savings in printing and postage, to saynothing of the reduced paper usage, protecting the world’sforests.
However, in the developing world things are not sosimple. Journal access has always been a problem, notonly because of cost but also because of long delays inpostal systems and sometimes chaotic library arrange-ments and lack of availability of back runs of journals. At
the present time, we have a paradox. Journal access on-line should be easily available worldwide through the In-ternet, but this only works if you have the money to pay thepublishers and also if you have a computer. There are twoaspects to this. Computer equipment is actually rathercheap compared with scientific and medical equipmentbecause it is produced in such vast quantities. Conse-quently, many universities around the world have a rea-sonably adequate provision. It is more often the case thatpower back-outs and brown-outs are the problem in keep-ing on-line and using the Internet. Servicing is also aproblem. There are many examples where universitieshave trained technicians in computer and electronic ser-vicing only to have such people leave and get jobs “intown” where they can earn a whole lot more money tosupport their families.
As time goes on, one hopes that the situation will im-prove. Meanwhile initiatives are being taken by individualsand learned societies to make scientific and medical liter-ature available to colleagues in the developing world. Twosuch initiatives are described briefly in this issue by Mau-rice Long from the publishers of the British MedicalJournal.
‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed: School ofBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, UK. E-mail: [email protected].
© 2005 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATIONPrinted in U.S.A. Vol. 33, No. 3, p. 208, 2005
This paper is available on line at http://www.bambed.org208
