fundamentals of eDNA

This unit caused me to think about the benefits of open access publications and the transition we are attempting to undergo as a community towards open access. We talked about how the subscription journal system works, how this model made sense when paper subscriptions were the main way of disseminating scientific information, but that there is now a need for information to be available in a more equitable way. However, we also recognize that there remains a need for the role of editors and quality control that journals provide. I think this reading and discussion points to the need for designated funding to make publications open access. This seems like the near term solution that would benefit everyone; the publishers could maintain revenue that allows them to be good editors, researchers get their publications widely available, and funders or institutions get wider recognition for the work they’ve funded.