Op Ed — The Race to the Bottom: Short-term Bargains versus Long-term Vitality

Scholarly publishing has distinctive features we can improve- peer-review, editorial review,measuring impact, retraction and related policies and practices, ethical guidelines and enforcement, authorship integrity,archival integrity, and so forth. In an age where trusted and trustworthy information is more important than ever,improving these processes may be more critical than ever. The United States provides startling examples of the trend and its effects wherever you look. A good overview can be found in Sarah Kendzior’s book, The View from Flyover Country.In potent,vivid brushstrokes, Kendzior captures the pervasive and growing sense of alienation and desperation you’ll find in various towns and cities located hours away from the major airport hubs - small towns and mid-sized cities in Vermont,Ohio, California, Colorado, Wyoming,and Florida, or anywhere else gutted by the past 20 years of economic Darwinism