iCommons of scientific ideas from PLoS ONE
The Public Library of Science has announced the launch later this year of PLoS ONE OPEN ACCESS 2.0. The new project homepage here states PLoS ONE will be:
A peer-reviewed publication that publishes all rigorously performed science
A vibrant online forum that encourages scientific dialogue and debate
A “hassle-free” process that gets your work online within weeks
Subsections of the homepage explain several ways in which PLoS ONE will be an iCommons builder. Among these mechanisms, my personal favorite is called ‘INCLUSIVE SCOPE, a publication for the whole of science’:
“The boundaries between different scientific fields are becoming increasingly blurred. At the same time, the bulk of the scientific literature is divided into journals covering ever more restrictive disciplines and subdisciplines. In contrast, PLoS ONE will be a venue for all rigorously performed science, making it easier to uncover connections and synergies across the research literature.”
These words are a reminder that the iCommons not only connects people: the iCommons also importantly connects ideas! Education, individual learning, discovery, and what we can know together globally are all advanced by setting ideas loose in the open virtual knowledge ecology. Cheers for PLoS ONE as they do exactly that!
The PLoS ONE homepage welcomes: “If you feel inspired to take part, you don’t have to wait until PLoS ONE’s launch.” You are invited now: to sign up for a blog, to receive news and updates, and/or to learn about submitting papers. More about the Public Library of Science, founded in 2003, is here on the PLoS website. James Cascio at Open to the Future has a post here with more about PLoS ONE.