What is open-access publishing and what it means for the forensic enterprise

Abstract

Science is a public endeavor the results of which are intended to be shared with other scientists, professionals, and the public [1]. This is viewed as a worldwide right: Article 27 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that ''Everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.'' (United Nations, 1948). The publishing of scientific advancements began in 1665 with Journal des savants and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Since then, it is estimated that about 50 million journal articles have been published [2]. At the outset, the idea of publishing scientific results was mocked and created controversy, through difficulties in publishing (like the plague and the Great Fire of London) and scandal (the first editor, Henry Oldenburg, was accused of passing information to an enemy nation while corresponding with a Dutch colleague) [3]. The Royal Society was adamant, however, that science advanced only if a free and open discourse and exploration of ideas, supported by empirical evidence, was allowed.