A brief introduction to the academic publishing system

By Michel Morange & Angela Taddei

Abstract

What are the flaws of the traditional system of publishing research papers? Can we find an alternative way to this traditional system? In his introduction to Brandon Stell’s lecture on PubPeer, a website for centralized post-publication peer review, Michel Morange recalls the fundamentals of the traditional system of publishing research articles in scientific journals. He then gives the floor to Angela Taddei, who speaks of alternative systems of publishing for researchers, and discusses the example of BioRxiv, a preprint server for biology.

Summary

00:00:10 – 1. Introduction by Michel Morange
00:00:30 – 1.1. The origin of scientific publications
00:02:30 – 1.2. The peer review system
00:03:30 – 1.3. Issues of the system
00:03:40 – 1.3.1. Journals
00:04:48 – 1.3.2. Reviewers
00:06:04 – 1.3.3. Authors

00:07:13 – 2. Introduction by Angela Taddei
00:07:13 – 2.1. The publication process is slow and unpredictable
00:08:23 – 2.2. Publications are essential for career development
00:09:19 – 2.3. BioRxiv, the preprint server for biology
00:12:30 – 2.4. Advantages to science