An Acid Test. (July 29, 2004)

    Snow Barlow, President of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) in an opinion piece in yesterday's Higher Eduction Section of The Australian focused on an "Acid test for science publishing" opening with "'Serial killing' is now a routine part of academic life. Each year university libraries make tough choices as to which journals will be removed
from the subscription list," and describing the tough choices university and research institute libraries must make in order to contain escalating costs.

But in urging the libraries' end users to get up on their hind legs and voice their concerns and opinions with regard to measures that should be taken to ensure the proper dissemination of information to allow Australian research to function knowledgably Professor Barlow concludes with the following general observation:

In my view, scientific researchers collectively have not been particularly reflective about the profound changes in the organisation of research and knowledge production. In many respects we have been passive functionaries too often whinging about the present or harking back to a (mythical) past rather than examining critical meta-research issues of organisation and governance of science. What are the role and prospects of disciplinary-based societies? How do we represent ourselves? How do we represent and engage with community interests and concerns? Indeed, what is a scientist and how do we select them?
 
Scientific researchers have a strong interest in thinking these questions through and promoting relevant organisational and governance models. Changes in publication and dissemination practices and needs are important elements of this more crucial challenge.

Harry Robinson in his July TFW op-ed column "Polls, politics and pollies" points out the problem as regards how science should be promoted. "Science needs a promotions committee. Scientists on the committee would need to admit that they don't understand the strange and rackety ways of publics and politics. They should engage someone doused in the stuff to give frank, enlightened, expert advice on one subject only: which way to go?"

Robinson has a valid point; in this matter of promoting a knowledgeable nation for the public (and private) good, scientists and academics need professional help -- do it yourself  just ain't gonna get the right job done.