The rules and habits of scientific publishing are rapidly changing. But why are the big publishing firms still so powerful that authors do not receive any financial compensation for their work, have to pay to get their manuscripts published or to read their own publications, and have to give up their copyrights? What are the pro’s and cons of Open Access? Why is the number of new scientific journals exploding? How reliable are the contents of scientific journals? What is the value of the peer review system? And – most relevant today – how can a scientist be judged by his or her publications?
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