Where to Publish? To review?

About

There is a growing consensus in academia within the life sciences domain that the current scientific publishing system needs to change. This consensus has many causes: the high profit margins of big publishers, the pervasive presence of predatory journals, the extremely high article processing charges using open access as an excuse, the scarcity of reviewers, etc. However, it is quite common for early-career researchers to accept the publish-or-perish culture and to pursue a first-author publication in a top-tier journal claiming that this is the only way possible to play the game in academia and that no alternatives exist when it comes to journal choices. Although the former may be true to a certain extent, the latter is not. There are many alternatives and, importantly, making use of these alternatives is the way to begin to make changes in the current system and to enable a transition to a healthier and sustainable academic publishing system.

Where to Publish? is a database of journals within the life-science domain created to highlight three main factors that, combined, represent an alternative to the current dominant publishing system: non-profit, open access, and society-based journals. Where to Publish? is intended to generate awareness of the existing diversity of journals with these three characteristics and to help researchers make informed contrasted decisions about where to send their work and for whom they are willing to review or act as editors. A change is possible and alternatives exist. Let's make it happen.

Got a review invitation from a for-profit journal, use the following text to decline it: