June 8, 2012

scientific publishing – in depth backgrounder

Speakers:
Alecia Wise, Director of Universal Access, Elsevier
Theodora Bloom, Editorial Director for Biology Publishing, Public Library of Science
Wim van der Stelt, Executive Vice President Corporate Strategy, Springer
Dr Philip Campbell, Editor-in-Chief, Nature
Mark Henderson, Director of Communications, The Wellcome Trust

George Monbiot has described scientific publishers as ‘the most ruthless capitalists in the western world’ who make ‘Walmart look like a corner shop’. Mild mannered physicists are organising boycotts of Elsevier and in the US scientist have started an on-line petition to urge Obama to back a move to Open Access.

The SMC has invited 5 leading experts on scientific publishing to lift the lid on the frenzied debates going on in scientific publishing and share their thoughts on how it will all look in 10 years time.