No Researcher Left Behind

There is a widely held perception within the research community that the current, predominantly for-profit, scientific publishing ecosystem has become untenable: it is broadly unaffordable, it disproportionately excludes underrepresented researchers, it relies on largely uncompensated scientific labor, and it intensifies the pressure to publish. Despite this perception, there is little consensus about effective remedies to this system and limited unified action to effect change: researchers make private decisions about where to publish, individual editorial boards resign ad hoc, societies negotiate separately with for profit publishers, and the highly profitable publishing industry continues to take an increased share of research funding. Our goal is to channel the community’s shared frustrations into joint action, to move the community toward a more affordable, equitable, and inclusive publishing ecosystem.