Introduction The world of scholarly publishing is brimming with buzzwords that often sound interchangeable. “Open access” and “open science” are two of the most prominent—and most misunderstood—terms in this lexicon. At first glance, they may seem to describe the same noble ideal: a more transparent, democratic system for disseminating research. But scratch the surface, and … Read more
Introduction Open access (OA) was once the rebellious outsider of academic publishing—the scrappy alternative to expensive journal subscriptions that locked publicly funded research behind paywalls. Fast forward to 2025, and OA is no longer a fringe movement. It’s the new standard—but not without growing pains, contradictions, and a fair share of chaos. From policy frameworks … Read more
Introduction Academic publishing is an industry built on paradoxes. At its heart lies a curious contradiction: the world’s smartest people, backed by billions in public research funding, give away their work for free to publishers who then charge exorbitantly to access it. Meanwhile, those same researchers review each other’s work, edit journals, and scramble for … Read more
Introduction: The Prestige Trap In the competitive world of academic publishing, prestige is everything. For decades, one number has come to define that prestige: the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). Hiring committees scrutinize it, grant panels cling to it, and researchers obsess over it like it’s the scientific equivalent of a stock ticker. A brilliant early-career … Read more
Introduction Sci-Hub is arguably one of the most disruptive forces in the history of academic publishing. Founded in 2011 by Alexandra Elbakyan, a then 22-year-old graduate student from Kazakhstan, the website promised free access to millions of scientific papers—material that was, and largely still is, locked behind paywalls operated by commercial publishers. For researchers in … Read more