Cell Transplantation – The Regenerative Medicine Journal, the number two journal ranked by impact factor in the field of transplantation, has become an “open access” journal from the 1st January 2009, starting with volume 18, making it available on the World Wide Web without subscription to researchers and clinicians as well the public and members of the media. The journal’s new open access policy aligns it with the policies of a growing number of funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Foundation, said journal coeditor-in-chief Dr. Paul Sanberg, Distinguished Professor at University of South Florida Health.
“Making important research easily accessible to the public creates a win-win situation for citizens and for researchers,” said Sanberg. “The advantage for our authors is that fellow researchers and students will be able to download, reference and cite the latest research. Also, members of the public, who may have interests or concerns about the progress of the science of cell transplantation, can be better informed about groundbreaking research.”
The open access movement in scholarly publishing, increasing over the last several years, unlocks an educational door that formerly required an expensive key. Many researchers, as well as institutional libraries, have in the past been unable to afford to provide their students, researchers and faculty members expensive journals with subscription rates that rise into the hundreds of dollars per year. It is estimated that globally well over 1,500 scholarly journals are now open access journals.
According to Cell Transplantation co-editor-in-chief Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, accessibility also means greater impact on the science community when more researchers are able to access, read and cite a greater number of studies.
“Science can move more quickly when access to the latest research is unhindered,” said Dr. Ricordi.
Contributors to Cell Transplantation have applauded the move.
Both Drs. Ricordi and Sanberg agree that the public, who will ultimately benefit from the advancements in cell transplantation, should be able to stay informed.
“Cell transplantation represents hope for millions of people who want to see our pioneering clinical efforts treat and cure diseases such as cancer, diabetes, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Sanberg.
Source : deve@health.usf.edu
