It is difficult to treat knowledge as a pure private good, because it also has the characteristics of a public good, for example, the possibility of using a given resource of knowledge by different people at the same time <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 argues Ewa Gruszewska, an economist from the University of Bia\u0142ystok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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As a society that finances independent research, we should have the right to universal and easy access to their results, i.e. expert works that explain various aspects of our everyday and non-everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How, then, to reach the source, that is, a peer-reviewed scientific publication, which appeared in a high-ranking specialist periodical? There are two options. In the first case, if the publication was placed in a journal applying the open access policy, i.e. free access, then after searching for a given topic on the internet, one click is enough to receive reliable data on a selected topic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the second case, the reader is required either to purchase a specific article or to subscribe to the journal temporarily. For example, in Elsevier, one of the largest publishing corporations, annual access to a single scientific periodical costs from several thousand to even tens of thousands of euros. Therefore, only universities and academic libraries can afford meticulously selected subscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tools and skills necessary to verify facts seem to be key attributes of modern man. We found out about it on social media. Their algorithms favor easy and controversial content, which directly influences the easier spread of conspiracy theories and false information placed on the web by humans or bots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How is a journalist or publicist, for example, supposed to efficiently recognize false and manipulated data presented by anti-vaccinationists if thousands of studies by vaccinologists or epidemiologists are hidden behind an extremely high paywall? It is much easier to find materials advising against vaccination \u2013 they are short, transparent, and, above all, available online immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Movements for open science have been active since the early days of the internet. But it was only the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that made many unconvinced scientists and institutions realize how important universal access to scientific communication is in today’s globalized world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Making various analyses and research data related to coronavirus available around the world has significantly improved the flow of knowledge between scientists, but also media, and interested people outside the academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The unprecedented opening of research during the pandemic has shown that open access policy can help solve other global problems faced by humanity. The aftermath of this awareness was the launch of the Open Climate Campaign project in 2022. It aims to encourage scientists, national governments and institutions to disseminate research on global warming. To better understand the nature of change and effectively seek solutions to the environmental crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the existence of climate change and the resulting biodiversity decline is certain, knowledge and data on these global challenges, as well as possible solutions, actions mitigating the threats and allowing to cope with them are too often not publicly available <\/p>\n\u2013 states Iryna Kuchma in an interview with the Otwarta Nauka<\/em> (Open Science) portal.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n We recommend: How do Children Absorb the World? The Science Behind Learning<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/pexels-olly-941555_cr_16_9-1024x576.webp\")
The Importance of Access to Knowledge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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