The goal of scientific and scholarly publication is to record research activity in a timely fashion, so that other members in the research community can be up-to-date with current research development.
Not so long ago, the printed journals were the most effective method for the dissemination and archival of their research results. However, technical development in the last few decades changed this and allowed the process of scholarly communication to change place of events, and this particularly refers to the dissemination of articles via the web.
Dissemination is a crucial issue in the scientific process. If the work is exposed to other scientists who can validate and replicate it or build on the work. If researchers have access to these articles, it is very important because it informs the work that the authors plan to undertake. The access to other scientists’ work is essential because it portrays the impact of their work which is evident from the number of citations of their article. Improving access, which is the ultimate objective of the Open Access, inevitably improves impact. The author’s work is promoted throughout the scientific community and it brings career advancement and consequently, advancement of science.
Open Access introduces new methods of interaction and engagement with the literature. Readers can not only browse and read the content, but make comments and suggestions which would improve the quality of the work found through Open Access repositories or be used as a basis to upgrading the future research and some services offer the possibility of ranking the articles and community mapping.
None of these benefits would exist if there weren’t well-described articles. A solid, scientifically corroborated and elaborate research paper is the best asset for gaining benefit. Everyone with a slight interest or expertise in a particular field can recognise a good material which would serve as a solid base for future research. Therefore, it is essential that contributors are aware of the importance of a quality research published through Open Access model, which, leaves the researchers the option of becoming a keeper of their own intellectual work. We at InTech believe, that Open Access, in any of it’s previous and future models, will enable scientific research a wider audience and still be economically sustainable.
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