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A 12 months in the past, I wrote concerning the power of the human spirit that noticed all of us come collectively as we rose earlier than the problem in entrance of us. Twelve months on, whereas COVID-19 stays a big problem to us all, greater than eight billion vaccine doses have been administered to individuals world wide. 55% of the world’s whole inhabitants have now acquired not less than one dose of a vaccine.
What now we have achieved in response to the pandemic is phenomenal. We aren’t there but however scientists have risen to the problem and supplied therapies and vaccines at a velocity sooner than every other time in human historical past. Essentially this achievement was made solely doable as a result of analysis outcomes across the coronavirus had been shared overtly and instantly. This scientific success story is an open science success story.
When most individuals weren’t conscious of COVID in January 2020, Chinese language scientists had already overtly shared the genetic sequence of coronavirus, triggering a race for vaccines worldwide. Two months later, in March 2020, when it was clear this was a world emergency, the US White Home, along with a coalition of companion organizations, launched the COVID-19 Open Analysis Dataset (CORD-19). This collated all coronavirus-related analysis and mandated it should be open and free to entry, even these articles printed in subscription journals. On the time, there have been 30’000 coronavirus analysis articles. At the moment, there are nicely over 400’000 – most open entry.
Opening entry to analysis papers, outcomes, and knowledge accelerated innovation and delivered coronavirus vaccines and coverings at a velocity by no means seen earlier than – and this saved thousands and thousands of lives. A scarcity of entry to scientific analysis, nearly all of which is publicly funded, slows down scientific discovery and options to international challenges. And make no mistake, larger challenges lie forward – whereas analysis in different areas essential to our future stays locked: local weather change, illnesses, sustainability, cyber safety and plenty of others. What has been attained for COVID has not been achieved for different illnesses and international emergencies. This 12 months, the coverage determination of the White Home to open up COVID analysis was absolutely the proper name. Now, we should replicate that decisiveness throughout different areas.
Yearly, most cancers kills 10 million individuals; solely 28% of analysis printed between 2015 and 2019 is overtly accessible. Heart problems is even worse: it kills 18 million individuals a 12 months, however solely 17% of analysis will be freely accessed. Figures for local weather analysis present that of the roughly 160K papers printed between 2015 and 2019, simply 29% had been accessible to researchers, trade, and members of the general public. The local weather emergency is the defining problem of our technology. It determines the destiny of all life on this planet. Similar to for COVID, science has the options for the local weather emergency, but it surely’s solely open science that may ship these options quick sufficient to stop the worst outcomes of world warming. 2022 should be the 12 months policymakers study from COVID and from the success of open entry. A number of the challenges we face may have irreversible penalties if we don’t act now.
Frontiers stands for open science; meaning free, rapid, and unrestricted entry to all publicly funded analysis for innovators, docs, the media, you, me, individuals in every single place.
This 12 months, we’re proud to have reached a number of milestones due to the exhausting work and dedication of our editorial board members, our employees, and the broader open entry neighborhood. We at the moment are the third most cited writer and have printed greater than 270,000 papers which are freely informing important analysis worldwide. We’ve got greater than 1,200 staff throughout Europe, North America, and Asia and round 170,000 researchers now serve on the Frontiers’ editorial boards, as Chief, Affiliate and Evaluation Editors. And despite the fact that greater than 1.5 billion individuals have considered or downloaded our analysis articles overtly and freely, our work just isn’t completed and won’t be completed till all analysis is open entry.
Open science is the explanation that extra individuals will be capable of spend time with their family members this vacation: open science is the explanation extra individuals would possibly take pleasure in happier, safer, extra affluent lives all year long forward.
A heartfelt thanks to our whole editorial neighborhood – authors, editors, reviewers – for the whole lot you’ve got achieved and contributed. Your ongoing dedication to open science is saving lives, and it’s an honor to work beside you and the Frontons, our groups. We’ve got achieved lots collectively, however we aren’t going to relaxation on our laurels and can be aiming even increased within the coming years.
From everybody at Frontiers and from my household to yours, we want you a cheerful, wholesome, and harmonious 2022.
Heat regards,
Kamila
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