In particle physics, we have found our ways to address this issues:
- all our papers are available on the arxiv before being even submitted to a journal
- all institutes are paying money to the SCOAP3 initiative, and this network, mainly funded by CERN, pays the journal so that all particle physics article are open access.
- many researchers (including myself) have started to refuse writing articles and referee reports for non-open-access journals.
- recently, the scipost initiative appeared. If is an open access journal managed by scientists for scientists. Everything is open access, including the referral system. We don't need publishers after all. I love the idea.
Although particle physics is small, why would not other areas of science be able to do the same? Money maybe?
By the way, I just wrote my 63th referee report. This corresponds to 1/3 of a year of work for free for those publisher companies... This is another problem, I think, in terms of unfairness...
I don't see how STEEM could help there, but this is definitely something we could discuss (potentially with the Pevo people)
As I was reading, I was asking just that; why can't other fields just do the same thing? The scoap initiative is funded by CERN, which is funded by 21 states so i suppose in the grand scheme, Particle physics is a small blip in the pockets of these governments compared to, say, Pharma or conservation so yeah, maybe its the scalability that's an issue.
I'd like to prioritize the accessibility to mainstream audiences via social media though above financial aspects I think; aside from popsci videos you might casually scroll past on facebook, this is an underperforming aspect of society in my opinion
Then you may need some double stream: science for scientists and those we want, and science for anyone. No?
Why dont' we go even further?
Here is my proposal article on creating "Open Source Innovation Infrastructure For The Benefit Of Human Well-being and The Planet Organized Through Blockchain."
I call it "innovations by the people for the people" or #byp4p
https://steemit.com/blockchain/@eunnovax/this-is-the-most-powerful-blockchain-killer-app-that-everyone-missed-so-far