The chain of communication in health science: from researcher to health worker through open access

Chan, Leslie; Arunachalam, Subbiah; Kirsop, Barbara

The chain of knowledge transfer in health care begins with the research laboratories in university depart ments, research institutes and health care companies, where new research knowledge is generated. From there it moves through peerreviewed publications to the global community. The chain can be broken at any link because of technical, social or fiscal problems, but if the primary link between original researchers and users is broken, nothing new can emerge to support the health services around the world. The global investment made in research is wasted. 9 Traditionally, researchers have published their find ings in journals where the peer review process ensures authenticity and accuracy. Today, however, journals have become less effective vehicles for knowledge dis semination because their subscription prices have risen far above the cost of inflation, disenfranchising readers in poorer nations. As a study by WHO showed, medical institutes in the lowestincome countries are often un able to purchase any journals at all, 10 and so their re searchers work in a vacuum, isolated from developments taking place in the rest of the world.