The discussion revolves around the process of publishing scientific papers, particularly focusing on platforms like arXiv.org and viXra.org. Participants explore the steps involved in publishing, the role of peer review, the costs associated with publication, and the credibility of different platforms. The conversation includes personal experiences and concerns from individuals unfamiliar with the academic publishing system.
Participants do not reach a consensus on the credibility of viXra.org, with some advocating against its use while others consider it a viable option for self-publishing. The discussion reflects a mix of opinions on the complexities of the academic publishing process and the role of peer review.
Participants highlight various assumptions about the publishing process, including the need for authorization to upload to arXiv, the implications of peer review, and the financial aspects of publication. There are also references to personal experiences that may not represent broader trends in academic publishing.
I have no academic affiliation and publish a half-dozen papers per year or so. The only difficulty is that people w/o academic affiliations rarely have anything of high enough quality to pass peer review. Those that do have high quality research and writing have no more difficulty getting published than their academic counterparts.weburbia said:you underestimate how difficult that can be for someone with no academic affiliation. Publishing in high impact factor journals seems to be very difficult and possibly expensive for outsiders.