Episode 8: The Battle for Open Science

The Open Science movement is gaining momentum and there is some seriously exciting initiatives driving for transparency and alternative methods of sharing scientific data. But it's got a big obstacle to overcome; the traditional academic publishing model. Ross Mounce, Editor at RIO Journal, chats to us about the distressing state of the academic publishing industry, a multi-billion pound behemoth. With enormous subscription costs paid for by the researchers who provide them with the material in the first place, extra costs to open up those papers to the wider public (whose tax dollars fund the research), archaic review processes that are ripe for innovation, and advocates that would make even the most cynical tobacco lobbyist squirm; this is going to be quite the battle.