Difference between revisions of "The History of Scientific Publishing"

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According to Wikipedia's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_scientific_experiments Timeline of scientific experiments] the first such experiment was conducted by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empedocles Empedocles] in the 5th century BC some 2.500 years ago. Personally i do not share this view of history after having read [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything The Dawn of Everything] which outlines how much human activity of the past is being ignored by todays accounts just because people did not have the tools to communicate their findings in a way that preserved it for future generations in the original code.  
 
According to Wikipedia's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_scientific_experiments Timeline of scientific experiments] the first such experiment was conducted by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empedocles Empedocles] in the 5th century BC some 2.500 years ago. Personally i do not share this view of history after having read [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything The Dawn of Everything] which outlines how much human activity of the past is being ignored by todays accounts just because people did not have the tools to communicate their findings in a way that preserved it for future generations in the original code.  
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+
== Oral Scientific Communication ~100.000 years ago ==
 
So lets imagine some [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human Human] being of the far past say 100.000 ore more years ago conducting something we would call a scientific experiment these days, e.g. trying out [http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/artist-paints/prehistoric-colour-palette.htm different ways of coloring clay] for body painting and later wall murals.
 
So lets imagine some [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human Human] being of the far past say 100.000 ore more years ago conducting something we would call a scientific experiment these days, e.g. trying out [http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/artist-paints/prehistoric-colour-palette.htm different ways of coloring clay] for body painting and later wall murals.
  
 
The "scienfific communication" in this case would have been based on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_language oral/vocal/language] which is these days is assumed to be well established in the human community at the time.  
 
The "scienfific communication" in this case would have been based on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_language oral/vocal/language] which is these days is assumed to be well established in the human community at the time.  
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== Oral Scientific Communication ~100.000 years ago ==
+
 
 
<graphviz format='svg'>
 
<graphviz format='svg'>
 
digraph s10000 {
 
digraph s10000 {
Line 12: Line 12:
 
== Written Scientific Communication ~5.500 years ago ==
 
== Written Scientific Communication ~5.500 years ago ==
 
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_tablet Clay tablet]s have been used as the first durable, transportable and copyable means of communication of scientific findings.
 
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_tablet Clay tablet]s have been used as the first durable, transportable and copyable means of communication of scientific findings.
 +
 
<graphviz>
 
<graphviz>
 
digraph s5500 {
 
digraph s5500 {
 
   scientist -> document [ label="writes findings"]  
 
   scientist -> document [ label="writes findings"]  
 
   community -> document [ label="reads findings" ]
 
   community -> document [ label="reads findings" ]
 +
 
 +
  document -> scribe [ label="reads to copy" ]
 +
  scribe -> document [ label="writes copy" ]
 
}
 
}
 
</graphviz>
 
</graphviz>
−
== Printed Scientific Communication ~1000 years ago ==
 
−
Some 5.000 years the written communication was improved only by modifying the writing medium to papirus and paper, improving the standardization of languages (greek/latin/chinese/ ...) and making the copying a manufacture art as was e.g. the case in christian monasteries. Printing was invented as a mechanized way of copying. [https://muslimheritage.com/manuscripts-and-printing/ Geoffrey Roper - Manuscripts and printing] claims that printing was known many centuries befor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Gutenberg Gutenberg]'s invention of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_spread_of_the_printing_press Printing Press]
 
  
 
== [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62108941 Letter of Grand Priest Luenna-AO 4238] ==
 
== [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62108941 Letter of Grand Priest Luenna-AO 4238] ==
 
An example clay tablet from the Louvre.
 
An example clay tablet from the Louvre.
 
[[File:Letter_Luenna_Louvre_AO4238.jpg|500px]]
 
[[File:Letter_Luenna_Louvre_AO4238.jpg|500px]]
 +
== Printed Scientific Communication ~1000 years ago ==
 +
Some 5.000 years the written communication was improved only by modifying the writing medium to papirus and paper, improving the standardization of languages (greek/latin/chinese/ ...) and making the copying a manufacture art as was e.g. the case in christian monasteries. Printing was invented as a mechanized way of copying. [https://muslimheritage.com/manuscripts-and-printing/ Geoffrey Roper - Manuscripts and printing] claims that printing was known many centuries befor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Gutenberg Gutenberg]'s invention of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_spread_of_the_printing_press Printing Press]
 +
 +
Printing sped up the process of publication and communication since fare more copies could be created and distributed for far less cost in far shorter time.
 +
[[File:European_Output_of_Printed_Books_ca._1450–1800.png|640px]]
 +
 +
<graphviz format='svg'>
 +
digraph s1000 {
 +
  scientist -> document [ label="writes findings"]
 +
  community -> document [ label="reads findings" ]
 +
  document -> printer [ label="reads to typeset" ]
 +
  printer -> printform [ label="typesets" ]
 +
  printform -> document [ label="prints copy" ]
 +
}
 +
</graphviz>
 +
== Digital Scientific Communication ~50 years ago ==
 +
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_publishing Digital publishing] started in the 1970's and was boosted by the availability of Personal Computers, Text processors and the Internet in the next two decades.
 +
 +
The result is an "explosion" of scientific communication with exponential growth rates.[[CiteRef::bornmann2021gr]]
 +
{{#scite:
 +
|reference=bornmann2021gr
 +
|type=journal-article
 +
|title=Growth rates of modern science: a latent piecewise growth curve approach to model publication numbers from established and new literature databases
 +
|authors=Lutz Bornmann;Robin Haunschild;Rüdiger Mutz
 +
|journal=Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
 +
|publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC
 +
|issn=2662-9992
 +
|subject=General Economics, Econometrics and Finance;General Psychology;General Social Sciences;General Arts and Humanities;General Business, Management and Accounting|+sep=;
 +
|volume=8
 +
|doi=10.1057/s41599-021-00903-w
 +
|year=2021
 +
|retrieved-from=https://doi.org/
 +
|retrieved-on=2023-03-04
 +
}}
 +
 +
<graphviz format='svg'>
 +
digraph s50 {
 +
  tpd [ label="textprocessor document" ]
 +
  dpd [ label="display document" ]
 +
  scientist -> tpd [ label="writes findings with texprocessor e.g. LaTeX/Word"]
 +
  tpd -> dpd [ label="renders e.g. to PDF/HTML" ]
 +
  community -> dpd [ label="reads findings" ]
 +
  dpd -> publisher [ label="submit for publishing" ]
 +
  publisher -> dpd [ label="prints/puts online" ]
 +
}
 +
</graphviz>
 +
 +
= The need for metadata =
 +
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_Is_Miscellaneous David Weinbergers's Everything is Miscellaneous] nicely explains how the need for indexing the vast amounts of literature (and scientific findings's literature) arose. The solutions to mitigate the problem that were invented in the past few centuries seem not to be fit for the third millenium.
  
 
= Links =
 
= Links =
Line 44: Line 95:
 
|retrieved-on=2023-03-04
 
|retrieved-on=2023-03-04
 
}}
 
}}
 +
[[Category:Text2KG]]

Latest revision as of 09:37, 31 December 2023

According to Wikipedia's Timeline of scientific experiments the first such experiment was conducted by Empedocles in the 5th century BC some 2.500 years ago. Personally i do not share this view of history after having read The Dawn of Everything which outlines how much human activity of the past is being ignored by todays accounts just because people did not have the tools to communicate their findings in a way that preserved it for future generations in the original code.

Oral Scientific Communication ~100.000 years ago

So lets imagine some Human being of the far past say 100.000 ore more years ago conducting something we would call a scientific experiment these days, e.g. trying out different ways of coloring clay for body painting and later wall murals.

The "scienfific communication" in this case would have been based on oral/vocal/language which is these days is assumed to be well established in the human community at the time.

Written Scientific Communication ~5.500 years ago

Clay tablets have been used as the first durable, transportable and copyable means of communication of scientific findings.

Letter of Grand Priest Luenna-AO 4238

An example clay tablet from the Louvre. Letter Luenna Louvre AO4238.jpg

Printed Scientific Communication ~1000 years ago

Some 5.000 years the written communication was improved only by modifying the writing medium to papirus and paper, improving the standardization of languages (greek/latin/chinese/ ...) and making the copying a manufacture art as was e.g. the case in christian monasteries. Printing was invented as a mechanized way of copying. Geoffrey Roper - Manuscripts and printing claims that printing was known many centuries befor Gutenberg's invention of the Printing Press

Printing sped up the process of publication and communication since fare more copies could be created and distributed for far less cost in far shorter time. European Output of Printed Books ca. 1450–1800.png

Digital Scientific Communication ~50 years ago

Digital publishing started in the 1970's and was boosted by the availability of Personal Computers, Text processors and the Internet in the next two decades.

The result is an "explosion" of scientific communication with exponential growth rates.1

The need for metadata

David Weinbergers's Everything is Miscellaneous nicely explains how the need for indexing the vast amounts of literature (and scientific findings's literature) arose. The solutions to mitigate the problem that were invented in the past few centuries seem not to be fit for the third millenium.

Links

2

References

  1. ^  Lutz Bornmann;Robin Haunschild;Rüdiger Mutz. (2021) "Growth rates of modern science: a latent piecewise growth curve approach to model publication numbers from established and new literature databases" . doi: 10.1057/s41599-021-00903-w
  2. ^  Alan Kelly. (2020) "The History and Future of Scientific Publishing" - 10-33 pages. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780190936600.003.0002

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