Reflections on the usefulness of the 100th published paper - A conversation with Matthieu Boisgontier

Access 2 Perspectives – Conversations. All about Open Science Communication

A couple of days ago, Matthieu Boisgontier shared a post on Linkedin, mentioning that he had just published his 100th paper. While this seems to be quite the achievement for many scholars these days, he questioned if that was even something that should be celebrated. You can read the original post in French (or a translation into your preferred language) at https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7275957469862891520/.

Matthieu Boisgontier is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa in the Faculty of Health Sciences, a physiotherapist, a kinesiologist, and a certified medical imaging technologist. He completed his Ph.D. in France in 2012 at the Université Grenoble Alpes. His research program combines neuroscience, gerontology, and health to contribute to understanding and solving the pandemic of physical inactivity.

In this episode, Jo and Matthieu discuss Matthieu's career transition from physiotherapy to research and teaching, as well as the importance of open access publishing in academic research. They explored the benefits of diamond open access journals, the progress of open science initiatives globally, and the significance of multilingualism in research communication.

Podcast summary

Career Transition and Research Importance

Matthieu and Jo discussed Matthieu's career transition from physiotherapy to research and teaching. Matthieu expressed his initial skepticism towards research, but now appreciates its niche nature. They also discussed the significance of publishing papers, with Matthieu questioning the importance of the number of articles published. He emphasized the value of the time and effort invested in each paper, and his realization that he had been publishing in industries that didn't prioritize good science. Matthieu also mentioned his preference for diamond open access journals.

Open Access Journal Models Discussed

Jo and Matthieu discussed the pros and cons of different open access journal models. Matthieu expressed his preference for diamond open access journals, where readers and authors don't pay, as he believes it helps keep money within the academic system. He also suggested choosing university press journals, as most of the money would stay within the academic system. Jo agreed with Matthieu's points, highlighting the questionable profit margins of commercial publishing houses and the need for a more equitable distribution of costs and benefits within the academic community.

Advancing Open Science Initiatives

Jo and Matthieu discussed the progress of open science initiatives in Europe, Canada, and the US. Matthieu noted that Europe is leading the way, but progress is slow, especially in North America. He emphasized the importance of individual contributions, such as preprinting one paper or publishing in a diamond open access journal, to support the open science movement. Jo agreed, suggesting that small steps can make a significant difference. Matthieu concluded by encouraging others to contribute in any way they can, even if it's just once a day or once a month.

Advantages of Diamond Open Access

In the discussion, Jo and Matthieu explore the purpose and benefits of publishing academic research through open access journals. Matthieu highlights that diamond open access journals promote inclusivity and diversity, as they eliminate financial barriers for researchers from less privileged institutions. Jo emphasizes that in the digital era, open access journals can assign persistent identifiers and be indexed in scholarly databases, ensuring wide dissemination of research across linguistic and geographic boundaries. Both agree that now is an opportune time to embrace diamond open access publishing, preprints, and open practices that prioritize equity and accessibility over commercial interests.

Multilingualism in Research and Communication

Jo and Matthieu discussed the importance of multilingualism in research and communication. Matthieu shared his experiences of conducting interviews and presentations in French, despite most of his research being in English. Both agreed on the need for more inclusive research practices, with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. They also discussed the potential for automatic translations in journals, which could enable researchers to publish in their native languages without disadvantage.

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Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr Jo Havemann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ORCID iD ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠0000-0002-6157-1494 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ebuka Ezeike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alex Lustig⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Kitty Kat ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

License:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://access2perspectives.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠