Ethical challenges related to publication

This seminar takes on the issue of ethics in relation to open access, citation impact, and other aspects of research publication. What is citation impact and why is it so important for researchers? Does it reflect the scientific merits of a given paper?

What exactly is open access, and what is the significance of this movement for the future of scientific research? As journal subscription fees have risen sharply, many university libraries and researchers find themselves cut off from essential scientific literature. This has led to calls for the removal of price barriers, as the advancement of science depends on the diffusion of knowledge. Governments have also mandated that published research be open access, based on the point of view that publicly financed research should be available to the public. In light of this is it justifiable to kept existing profit structures in place? On the other hand, who will cover the costs? Could open access compromise quality assurance, as the peer-review process can be both costly and time consuming? Could we see an increasing number of fake academic journals? What influence does open access have on citation impact?

 Quality assurance is also relevant for the issue of scientific misconduct, including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism and misrepresentations of authorship. What mechanisms are in place to prevent and uncover such practices? Are national and international standards for independent investigations the answer? Should we focus on courses in research ethics as part of doctoral programmes? Are we dependent on whistle blowers, i.e. those who see and report cases of misconduct? What could be done to protect their reputations and careers?

Susanne Mikki a Senoir Academic Librarian at the University of Bergen Library. Irene Eikefjord is a Senoir Librarian at the University of Bergen Library. Matthias
Kaiser is Head of the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, UiB.

This panel debate is free and open to the public!