In October 2004 the Public Library of Science began publishing PLoS Medicine featuring free, full-text, peer-reviewed, articles. This innovative medical publishing concept is still going strong nearly four years later.
"Everything published in PLoS Medicine is immediately freely available online throughout the world, with no restrictions on distribution, copying, printing, or legitimate use. Of course, it costs us money to publish this journal, and we must cover our expenses. But the fee-for-access business model that made perfect sense for the printed journal is no longer consistent with the mission of medical publishing because it needlessly limits the reach of the medical literature. And so we have adopted a new model. Instead of charging readers for access to our journal, we ask the authors of accepted research articles to pay a publication fee to cover the costs of peer review, editorial oversight, and production. This “open access” business model ensures our financial health as a publisher while allowing us to convey everything we publish to the widest possible audience.
Whereas some would argue that medical journals should not be accessible to patients because patients are unable to use the information effectively, we believe it is our responsibility as publishers and members of the medical community not only to give patients access, but to provide them with tools to use the medical literature wisely. Medical research is a partnership between medical scientists and millions of voluntary human participants, conducted largely with public funds. What better way to acknowledge the public's contribution and ensure their willingness to sponsor and participate in future research than to openly share the product of this research with them?
Much like public television, supporters can also become members.
Oh, and PLoS Medicine also publishes a blog.
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