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

Chan, Leslie; Arunachalam, Subbiah; Kirsop, Barbara

In India, the Medknow journals show consistent in creases in the use of open access online versions and steadily improving impact factors. Figure 4 Although some publishers have expressed concern that an open access publishing strategy could lead to a loss of subscription income, vital for the survival of their journals, evidence is now available that shows this not to be the case. The main journals publishing high energy physics research have seen no adverse effect from the widespread use by the physics community of the open access arXiv repository. 23 Similarly, in India, the Medknow publisher of biomedical journals reports an increase in subscriptions since the online versions of the journals were made available on an open access basis ( Figure 5) . Moreover, the quality of local journals has improved as a result of increased visibility, with in creases in submissions, impact factor and international contributors being recorded. 24 IRs are using statistical software to record usage, and their usage -as with that of open access journals -is growing dramatically. For example, the IR of the Universidad de Los Andes in Venezuela had 770,273 downloads in 2008, but within the first six months of 2009, the number was already at 1,122,562. Moreover, IRs are being accessed by researchers in both developed and developing countries. A demonstration of high us age of the IR of an institution in a developing country can be found on the website of the Universidad de Los Andes. § In the 18 months ending June 26, 2009, the number of downloads from the university's IR was 1,892,835. Although 55.6% of these downloads origin ated from within Venezuela or the university itself, 30.4% were from neighbouring Latin and South Amer ican countries, and 7.3%, or over 138,000, were from countries from around the world, including both remote developing countries and countries in Europe and North America (the origin of 6.7% of the downloads could not be identified). Clearly there is an overwhelm ing need for such information, which was previously in accessible to those with economic constraints. Moreover, this IR has placed the Universidad de Los Andes "on the map" in the eyes of the international re search community, to the benefit of the university. These statistics are a strong indication that the old communication mechanisms barred many researchers and health workers from the information they needed. The serendipitous benefits of reestablished links between researcher and user are largely immeasurable, since it is impossible to evaluate the consequences arising from chance meetings and partnerships, or from the encouragement that grows from a feeling of inclu sion.