ʻChemistry Squaredʼ: open access high quality science articles managed by the academic field

<i>Chemistry Squared</i> is the first scientific journal launched by the association Science for Science.
Chemistry Squared is the first scientific journal launched by the association Science for Science.
Research
(09/01/2018)

Promoting the publication of high quality science articles -in open access and a low cost- through an editorial process exclusively managed by researchers from the academic field. This is the main objective in Chemistry Squared (Chem2), the first scientific journal launched by Science2, a non-profit association created in 2017 by a group of experts from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Barcelona.

<i>Chemistry Squared</i> is the first scientific journal launched by the association Science for Science.
Chemistry Squared is the first scientific journal launched by the association Science for Science.
Research
09/01/2018

Promoting the publication of high quality science articles -in open access and a low cost- through an editorial process exclusively managed by researchers from the academic field. This is the main objective in Chemistry Squared (Chem2), the first scientific journal launched by Science2, a non-profit association created in 2017 by a group of experts from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Barcelona.

 

The cost of accessing scientific data -that is, to show it in open access through a prestigious forum- is usually high. Providing open access to scientific data is a basic premise for many international bodies and entities aiming to ease the public spreading of results of research funded with public funds.

In this atmosphere surrounded by challenges for the researching collective, the association Science2 (Science for Science) wants to join efforts among scientists to get rid of the economic costs involved in the access to scientific knowledge. In particular, this entity wants to contribute to change the common paradigm of scientific publications through the creation of high quality and open access science journals, which are managed by the same researchers under a non-profit scheme. Association Science2, created with the active support from many prestigious scientists worldwide, is led by the researchers Patrick Gámez, Guillem Aromí, Jordi Ribas and Leoní Barrios, from the Faculty of Chemistry of the UB, and is supported by the University of Barcelona, the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB) and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA). Internationally, the process of the foundation is also driven from the University of Rennes (France).

Chem2: highly competitive chemistry in open access

“As researchers, we think scientific publication-related activities could be completely managed by the same scientific community. In fact, scientists are already carrying out all the work related to the publication of the article”, says Patrick Gámez, ICREA research lecturer at the Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry of the UB, and president of Science2 and editor in chief of the journal Chem2.

According to Guillem Aromí, lecturer from the Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, secretary of Science2 and editor of Chem2, “if we promote organization among scientists -continues Aromí- we will ease the management of prestigious science journals we need to share high quality knowledge in an open and universal way, with lower costs”.

Under this new perspective of the scientific edition, Science2 will assign the received benefits from article processing charges (APCs) to the funding of the editorial infrastructure and to promote training programs for young researchers. The launchers of the journal Chem2, say that “the success and spread of the new editorial model depends on whether it reaches over a critical mass of authors who, with their commitment, contribute with good research articles, convinced that this will result in prestige on science, on their own prestige and the benefits for all society”.