THE most vital debates at scientific conferences rarely take place during the formal sessions. At the last month, the hot topic during the lunch breaks was the desperate need to improve the state of academic publishing in developing countries. This might seem a surprising choice, given the pressing challenges facing these nations. But the lack of local journals in which to publish scientific research, in particular in fields such as health, has serious consequences.
Local journals exist in developing countries, but many are failing. A study by Edith Certain…
