Science Communication Just Made A Huge Step Forward Because of Covid-19.

No-code services can limit the impact of fake news and political campaigns against experts. It’s about time the world notices.

Photo by Branimir Balogovic on Unsplash

Currently, researchers, academic institutions, and journalists are standing in front of a real challenge: to overcome the pandemic we desperately need accessible and open communication on a global level.

Open-access leads to innovation. But sharing expert knowledge isn’t an easy task. In fact, it’s one of the most complex issues scientists and politics need to solve quickly.

Where exactly is the problem?

Publishing houses have to generate revenue to survive. Therefore, access to papers and journals isn’t always as open as demanded. But the connection of internationally recognized scientific findings and availability plays one of the most significant roles to prevent knowledge gaps.

During the current events, even large publishing houses realized that and started a massive change of course two months ago. With the launch of one of the very first databases on COVID-19, they immensely improved the accessible information for researchers “for as long as needed while the public health emergency is ongoing”.

But is that long enough?

To answer properly, the question we have to ask sounds very basic. Nevertheless, it shows the fundamental challenge scientists and journalists face every day:

Can we create and establish open scientific communication to defeat the unique situation today or even the ones in the future?

It’s a new virus. The impact on people’s lives is enormous. We need to treat every aspect of the pandemic professionally and carefully. We need to research every piece of the puzzle to isolate possible consequences. Eventually, we need to have access to the results of every study for decades.

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