Nature Publishes Special Issue: The Future of Publishing

Nature's latest special issue, The Future of Publishing (March 28th, 2013), addresses the many benefits, as well as some perils (identity theft of a scholarly journal!), found in an increasingly digital world of scholarly publishing.  Articles on open access literature and data discuss the role transformations required of researchers and libraries in this changing landscape.  Another raises logical questions about the high cost and relative value of scholarly publishers arising when inexpensive open access is an option.  One article highlights the enhanced discovery, as well as more elemental packaging, of article/research content allowed by open access and search engine enhancements.  Public access advocates give their prescriptions for pushing forward in this realm, while others address the straw men thrown up by those opposed to the Creative Commons attribution license. An interview with Robert Darnton, Director of the Harvard University Library, anticipates the April 18 - 19 launch of the Digital Public Library of America.