EURURO Vol. 71 No. 4

508 692

Platinum [7_TD$DIFF]Opinion
Open Access. Open Science. Open Urology
Christopher E. Bayne Michael H. Hsieh
Division of[8_TD$DIFF] Pediatric Urology, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, USA
When was the last time you read medical literature on your
smartphone while standing in line for coffee, riding on a
train, or lying in bed? In a 2014 Doximity survey, more than
two-thirds of physicians reported using their mobile device
or laptop to read medical news This figure is probably
outdated given the growth of smartphone technology and
mobile websites in the last 2 yr. The increased portability of
information has revolutionized the way[2_TD$DIFF] physicians digest
medical literature.
Of course, the ability to read medical literature on mobile
devices depends on portable access. In this realm, the merits
of open access (OA) publishing are well documented. In
general, scientific articles published in OA formats attract
more press coverage and are more frequently cited than
non-OA articles . In addition, there is evidence[3_TD$DIFF]
articles originally published behind paywalls benefit from
post-embargo citation bumps when they are later made OA
While there are no good data to prove why this is the
case, an intuitive explanation sits squarely on exposure and
ease of access: OA articles can be read anywhere, at any
time, and by anyone with access to the Internet. Conse-
quently, OA journals have been able to keep pace with the
scientific impact generated by subscription journals . OA
publishing has increased its relative share of all scholarly
journal articles published by approximately 1% annually
In the urologic literature, the concept of OA often exists
as a ‘‘gold’’ option whereby publishers offset OA costs via
author-levied article processing charges (APCs). Journals
offering traditional subscription-based publication with
options to publish OA through APCs are often referred to as
‘‘hybrid’’ journals.
It is easy to imagine how OA increases an article’s
influence. Think back to the last time you tapped an article
link on your smartphone only to be taken to a journal
website paywall. You probably read the abstract, but even if
you have subscription permissions at a medical library, it is
unlikely you took the time to back away from the abstract,
login to your institution’s portal, relocate the article, and
read the rest of the publication. Would this be different if
you had immediate access to the entire publication?
It is no coincidence the birth and surge of OA has
paralleled the scientific community’s rapid adoption of
social media. Urologists have been at the forefront of social
media’s acceptance in medicine. Chung and Woo
reported[3_TD$DIFF] the 2014 American Urological Association and
European Association of Urology annual meetings averaged
337% more tweets and 164% more impressions per
conference day than global conferences of other surgical
specialties. In a crowded environment of [9_TD$DIFF]expanding medical
literature, OA and social media almost need each other to
thrive. Social media drives exposure, and OA ensures equal
participation across broad audiences. In this light, OA and
social media stand to not only change the way in which
urologists learn and disseminate new knowledge but also to
foster an open scientific atmosphere.
We used the SCImago [10_TD$DIFF]Journal [11_TD$DIFF]Rank (SJR) to identify
the top quartile of journals in the field of urology. We then
evaluated the presence of OA publication options and costs.
Of the 24 journals ranked in the SJR top quartile, all but two
offer OA options. The majority of publishers offer a gold
option. APCs identified on journal websites range from
$1700 to $5000, with the majority of journals charging
$3000. Only one journal in the SJR top quartile exclusively
publishes in OA format.
If OA advances the dissemination of new literature, then it
will improve patient education too. Patients begin searching
the Internet for specifics on their medical problems before
they leave the clinic. All physicians bemoan the scientific
(in)accuracy of information[3_TD$DIFF] their patients find on the
Internet. If we have trouble accessing journal databases
on our smartphones and tablets, no wonder patients turn to
unverified sources. Patient-centered Take HomeMessages in
available at
journal homepage:
* Corresponding author. Division of[8_TD$DIFF] Pediatric Urology, Children’s National Health System, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Tel. +1 202 4765042; Fax: +1 202 4764739.
E-mail address: (C.E. Bayne).
0302-2838/# 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association of Urology.