Thomas J. Schmidt is chair and professor of electrochemistry at ETH Zürich, and head of the Energy and Environment Research Division at Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland, where he investigates various aspects of electrochemical energy conversion and storage. In 2010, he received the ECS Charles W. Tobias Young Investigator Award.

Schmidt has recently been reappointed as an associate editor of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (JES) and handles manuscripts submitted to the fuel cells, electrolyzers, and energy conversion topical interest area.

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With top academic publishers like Elsevier holding a 35-40% profit margin and for-profit academic publishers earning $25.2 billion a year, Jason Schmitt began to wonder about the consequences of paywalls on access to scientific research. His questions led to his October 2018 documentary film, Paywall: The Business of Scholarship, where he questioned publishing practices and the public’s limited access to information.

According to IMDb, while filming, Schmitt says he was struck by the global energy and enthusiasm toward open access and the strong resistance to the movement by many of the world’s top publishers. “Further, I found that the funds paid to academic publishers are heavily burdening the higher education market, contributing to the rising tuition fees at all universities, the closure of many institutions and, ultimately, limiting science and progress.” (more…)

Stuart Taylor

Stuart Taylor Credit: OASPA

The Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association recently sat down with Stuart Taylor, publishing director of the Royal Society and their very own, newly appointed OASPA board member, for an interview. Taylor holds 30 years of experience in publishing and has witnessed many changes within the industry, such as the introduction of the open access model.

“I began in the commercial sector. Back then, open access wasn’t a topic I was aware of at all and the concept of open access publishing hadn’t even been invented,” says Taylor.

By the end of the 1990s, however, Taylor says the rumblings of an open access model began to make its presence within the publishing community, which at that time, “Was seen only as a threat to commercial companies. Something to be fought or at least contained.” (more…)

Highlights from Open Access Week 2018

During International Open Access Week 2018 (October 22-28), an event organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), the Society took down the paywall to the ECS Digital Library for the fourth consecutive year, making over 141,000 scientific articles and abstracts free and accessible to everyone.

If you participated in the event, please take a moment to tell us more about your experience.

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Opening Up About Open Access

In honor of International Open Access Week, from October 22-18, The Scholarly Kitchen wrote a two-part series focusing on both publishers and researchers from disadvantaged global research landscapes. The following publishers and researchers share their thoughts, concerns, successes, and setbacks on their journey to complete access for all. (more…)

The Electrochemical Society aims to advance theory and practice at the forefront of electrochemical and solid state science and technology, and allied subjects. To better serve the needs of researchers, scientists, and engineers across the field, we’d like to gather your thoughts on open access, membership, and the ECS quarterly magazine, Interface. Your feedback will inform the future direction of ECS programs.

Let us know your thoughts

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ECS celebrated International Open Access Week 2018 by giving the world a preview of what complete open access to peer-reviewed scientific research looks like. ECS took down the paywall October 22-28, 2018 to the entire ECS Digital Library, making over 141,000 scientific articles and abstracts free and accessible to everyone.

Take a few minutes to tell us more about your Open Access Week experience.

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Journal of The Electrochemical Society

Call for Nominations for Technical Editor in Sensors

New Deadline: November 14, 2018

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) seeks to fill the position of sensors technical editor for the Journal of The Electrochemical Society.

About ECS Journals & Research Areas
ECS has been long-heralded as the nonprofit home of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (JES), its flagship journal. Published continuously from 1902 to the present, JES, the oldest peer-reviewed journal in its field, remains one of the most-highly cited journals in electrochemistry with a cited half-life of greater than 10 years. JES and the ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology (JSS) provide unparalleled opportunities to disseminate basic research and technology results in electrochemical and solid state science and technology. JES publishes a minimum of 10 regular and up to six focus issues each year and offers author choice open access.

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To recognize the innovative research gaining attention across the diverse span of its topical interest areas, the Society highlights the top five most-downloaded journal articles in each TIA during each quarter of the year.

The most-downloaded Journal of The Electrochemical Society articles by TIA during the third quarter of 2018 (July through September) are listed below.

Highlights are based on articles published since January 1, 2016.

ALL of the articles listed below are open access.

 

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ECS Journal of Solid State Science and TechnologyTo recognize the innovative research gaining attention across the diverse span of its topical interest areas, the Society highlights the top five most-downloaded journal articles in each TIA during each quarter of the year.

The most-downloaded ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology articles by TIA during the third quarter of 2018 (July through September) are listed below.

Highlights are based on articles published since January 1, 2016.

ALL of the articles listed below are open access.

 

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