Walking out on (mindless) publishing

A chat with a senior colleague of mine enlightened me. I asked him how he coped with the change in track from a scientific to a management one. I asked him if he would miss publishing. His answer was a wise one. "I miss thinking about the scientific problems but not publishing" and he added, if I did not understand, "I miss teaching but not the exams". That moment was when I understood everything and made the move. I will not be a scientific mule for publishers.

It did not always seem that way. I was a keen aggressive young scientist. I loved publishing. I wanted to publish as much as possible. First author, corresponding author. All these were my aims. Papers were written in a way that is attractive to journals. But something started changing.

Let's say that there is a hypothetical journal known as Primitive Materials. 20 years ago, this journal could be a nothing. A nobody in journal terms. It started publishing papers which were of wide interest to the community. It moved with the times. It got so good at it that it seemed to be pre-empting trends even before the rest of the world knew. The editor, let's call him, Big Willy, would trawl the academic seas for the best authors. Over time, he would make friends with some of the very top researchers in the field. He played the numbers game well. Citations of the journal's articles went up. The journal rose in prominence in the field. Big Willy gets invited to many conferences, events, seminars. The pattern was similar. Big Willy received honorary titles in universities, ate the best meals, conversed with the brightest minds but also the most naive ones (yes, these two traits can be expressed in one mind!) Big Willy was hosted to dinners (really lavish ones). He seemed like a "demi-god", the ground he walks on is paved in gold. In between drinks and food, occasionally, someone would stuff a manuscript in the Big Willy's face. Trying to get into the editor's good books was the name of the game. Exchanging contacts (via a very popular messaging app) was the way. Big Willy was happy to discuss your manuscript (all in the name of science, of course), the scientists were willing to lap it up; all for publication in a high impact journal. Most of the time, things were said at dinners, and as quickly forgotten as the alcohol evaporates. The dark side of publishing. Where did the early papers which began with "Dear Sir," go? Yet, publications in this journal rise and rise. Journal expands and subscription to the journal increases. Let's say that an annual subscription costs USD 20,000. This journal would be worth USD 400 million a year if 20,000 universities subscribe to it!!! For research that they did not pay for. For reviewers they did not pay for. So Big Willy has a plan. He is a clever guy who loves to play the system and hold the researchers by the neck. He plans for new journals. And makes it happen.

Primitive Farming Materials

Primitive Durable Materials

Primitive Automobile Materials

Primitive Oil Field Materials

.... and so on.... (as long as it is called Primitive XXX Materials)

He starts to hire other editors ("Little Willies"). These editors are all more of less similar. Let's take a look at one of the journals, for example, Primitive Farming Materials. Most likely, Little Willy, has not done farming before. Little Willy might have read about farming or understood a little of it while growing up with his parents. But now, Little Willy is put in charge of Primitive Farming Materials. Each of these papers are read by Little Willy and assessed by him in terms of novelty, scope of work and trends. Little Willy can send a manuscript back into the bin based on editorial decisions, even if he does not know the topic at hand. Little Willy is now growing in confidence because Little Willy has the power to decide whether or not, you the farmer, can publish in Primitive Farming Materials.

Primitive Materials continues to grow but Big Willy is not satisfied. Everything must come with a price tag, he says. We will sell everything. The covers, colour figures, special issues, your soul....(I made up the last one). So this is just the start of the dark journey. A hypothetical example. But one which traps many farmers.

"I have to publish there or I will not get tenure...."

"My grant says I have to publish or perish.."

"I need to publish in a good paper to graduate/get employed/win an award...."

Sounds common? Nothing I will say will change things. Universities will continue to be slaves of journals and publishers. If I had my way, I would change things. I would look at mission driven research. I would support open repositories. Actually, why is there not a journal that is free to publish and free to access? FPFA journals? I read online and I have seen many scientists protesting this unjust practice of publishers profiting from science. Some have renounced their support for journals entirely.

I have less noble aims. 200 plus papers later. 18 years from the time I started publishing. Things have changed so much. I now wish to spend my time refining my work, perfecting my craft. Admittedly I will not be where I am without my publications. And who knows? Maybe once or twice I will publish some work of mine. Maybe if it is rarer, people will appreciate it more? I am lucky. I am able to step out of this world and work on science in the way I know it should be. With true passion and out of (mindless) publishing.

For anyone interested to read about scientists "stepping away", please read these references.

1. https://thecostofknowledge.com/
2. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/feb/02/academics-boycott-publisher-elsevier
3. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/apr/09/frustrated-blogpost-boycott-scientific-journals
4. https://www.nature.com/news/elsevier-boycott-gathers-pace-1.10010
5. https://www.enago.com/academy/boycott-of-elsevier-journals-brings-new-ideas-about-cost-for-scientific-publications/
6. https://www.enago.com/academy/move-boycott-elsevier-journals-deal-near-dead/
7. https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2018/may/29/why-thousands-of-ai-researchers-are-boycotting-the-new-nature-journal