The Self-Journal of Science: Breaking the Concept of Academic Journals

"SJS breaks with the concept of 'academic journals'. In the traditional system, a journal can be described as a seat of power whose input and output are controlled by a handful of co-opted individuals sitting on editorial boards. Journals hand out a limited number of 'stamps of approval' for which peers have to compete, and whose value is built on blind trust in its unverifiable internal peer-review processes. The fragmentation and privatization of scientific publishing, and a journal-based evaluation system leads to a number of significant problems, e.g. the 'publish-or-perish' culture, lower quality, lack of open access, exorbitant costs, chaotic dissemination.

In contrast, SJS is an open and transparent environment where scientists can come together, discuss science and its standards, and evaluate scientific contributions with appropriate incentives for maximal quality and collaborative input. Papers on SJS are not branded: the value of the platform comes from a straightforward and verifiable application of the very principles of science. The underlying power structure of SJS is horizontal: scientists have equal means to post, review and evaluate so that science can actually be driven by those who actively care for it (including many junior scientists), rather than by self-righteous third parties with private interests, agendas and an unscientific sense of prestige to uphold. This new logic naturally unfolds to offer concrete solutions to all the problems listed in the previous paragraph. Importantly, SJS introduces new metrics with a solid background to capture what is valid and important in the eyes of the scientific community. In strategic terms, an open and community-managed system for research assessment is what we need most to cure ourselves from our dependency on journals. This is certainly the most important – and most unique – thing SJS can offer. Here I explain briefly how the system works and what kind of scientific value it promotes (further information and explanations can be found here, here or here)"