Scientific journal Science recently published a study according to which scientific scholars are citing more-recent and less-diverse sources to back up their findings as a result of the proliferation of online journal articles. Science is an international weekly journal produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
After reviewing the research on the Internet and science, it was found that online journals claim to serve more information to more dispersed audiences. However, the study noted, as they are used differently from print, scientists and scholars tend to search electronically and follow hyperlinks rather than browse or peruse. Therefore, electronically available journals may portend an ironic change for science.
Since they are easy to use, accessible and more easily available, researchers tend to use online journals and not bother to track down print editions. As the Internet makes it quick and easy to find a glut of information on a given topic, the study found, researchers tended to pick out the most recently published and most cited sources to support their own research. They assume those articles are the most applicable to their own work. Using more popular search engines and trusting only the most well-known publications are seen to affect diversity.
According to the study, if this trend continues, less debate among researchers could lead to a diminished production of ideas in the scientific community.
