Non-Profit Journals Propose Medline Links to Articles

A group of the non-profit publishers of medical and scientific journals have recommended that the NIH expand its Medline database and website to allow online access to articles on their journals' websites.

The publishers' [PDF] proposal is in response to the NIH's voluntary program that asks its grantees to submit to the agency any manuscripts that result from NIH-funded research. The program asks for the manuscripts to go to the agency after peer review and acceptance for publication, but prior to final copy editing.

The publishers' say their suggestion would allow for the documents to receive a final edit, saying that would serve to protect copyright and minimize the potential for the rapid spread of confusing and potentially serious errors.

A listing of the journals -- which includes the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine but not the others regarded in the top tier [Nature, Science and Cell] -- is available at: http://www.dcprinciples.org.