Fw: Ref. (LML) Consultation about Leprosy Review: exclusively online (free of charge), or keeping the option of printed copies (paid subscription)?

 

 

 
Leprosy Mailing List – November 18,  2023

 

Ref. (LML) Consultation about Leprosy Review: exclusively online (free of charge), or keeping the option of printed copies (paid subscription)?

From:  Nick Avery, Colchester, UK   

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Dear Pieter and colleagues,

 

Ahead of next week's editorial board, please could you respond to leprosyreview@lepra.org.uk  on the following consultation?

Following significant investment in online article submission, editorial and an online archive, Leprosy Review is now available free of charge online at www.leprosyreview.org. Work is continuing to promote the online journal and to improve functionality. 

In parallel, Leprosy Review is printed quarterly. It is distributed free of charge to around 800 NGOs, research centres, and medical colleges. 36% of these go to India, and ca. 14% to other former South Asian countries.

Leprosy Review is funded primarily from restricted donations from a small number of ILEP institutions with the balance coming from Lepra's own unrestricted funds. Lepra administers the invoicing of ILEP members and of managing the online and print database lists as well as hosting the editorial and advisory boards. The staff costs of this are currently absorbed by Lepra. The staff costs have traditionally been Lepra's contribution but now there is both a direct financial cost as well as a labour cost. We are also increasingly receiving queries/concerns about the cost of supporting Leprosy Review from ILEP agencies.

The majority of scientific journals are now published online, in many cases exclusively. Leprosy Review has remained in print form based on the rationale that poor internet access in low income countries would exclude many readers. However virtually all recipients of the print copies are institutional libraries which do have internet access, and those working outside institutions may find it easier to access content through their phone than to get to a library.

The option of providing print copies on a paid for basis has been considered, but we do not believe that an economically viable model could be achieved – the print run would be so small that the cost per subscriber would become prohibitive. There are also environmental benefits to moving to an online only edition.

The editorial board is now proposing to discontinue the printed edition, which will significantly reduce the overall cost of the Leprosy Review programme and will also free up funds to invest further in the online version, allowing greater use of social media and to create a richer experience than the paper journal. This could include more timely, informal content, outside the current editorial and peer review framework, such as blogs, video blogs, or interviews. In making this change, the Board wishes to consult with two user groups – ILEP groups who support the journal financially and the Advisory Board.

The proposal is that the March 2024 edition of Leprosy review will be the final regular edition to be printed. The June 2024 edition will be printed, but with a smaller circulation list. It will be a celebratory edition for Lepra's 100^th birthday and will have an historical focus, particularly on the Malawi vaccine trials in the 1980s.    

 

Consultation questions:

1.    Do you agree with the proposal to cease producing a print version of Leprosy review in June 2024?

2.    If you agree with the proposal in Q1 above, please could you share your views on the online edition of Leprosy Review. What features would you like to see added to the online edition?

3.    If you disagree with the proposal in Q1 above, please could you provide a short explanation why you believe this? 

4. If you disagree with the proposal in Q1 above, are you able to suggest ways in which the cost could be reduced or income increased?    

5. Are there any other journals you currently access online whose format you particularly like/dislike, and if so, why?

6.    How do you feel about the potential inclusion of more informal content like videos and interviews?

7. When the transition goes ahead, are there any specific ways we could support you or that you think could support the readers of Leprosy Review?

 

Nick Avery​​​​

Director of Resources

01206 581070

www.lepra.org.uk

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LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder

LML blog link: http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.it/

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