Commercial science publisher Vitek Tracz provides further commentary. The special issue also includes descriptions of other new electronic archives of scientific material. It would also provide users with other major benefits including great flexibility in sharing information, and the ability to evolve with the literature. Money, status, credibility, independence - these are just some of the issues, each more charged than the next, that have sprung up around this proposal. The issue remains a heated topic.
Financial issues are, as ever, high on the list of concerns.
By offering free access to research papers, PubMed Central is a potential threat to publishers' revenues. Particularly vulnerable are professional societies, which depend heavily on income from their publishing activities. At the same time, the PubMed Central proposal would shift more of the costs of archiving away from readers or institutions, and onto the researchers themselves. Many wonder whether scientists will be willing and able to bear such costs. This could further compromise the credibility of the site's content.