From Papyrus to Ronald LaPorte, Faina Linkov, Tony Villasenor, Francois Sauer, Carlos Gamboa, Mita Lovalekar, Eugene Shubnikov, Akira Sekikawa For the Global health Network www.pitt.edu/~super1/ P 2 P

The Death of Biomedical Journals, BMJ, 1996 In 1995 we suggested in a series of articles that it was the death knell for biomedical journals. The Death of Biomedical Journals, 1995 The Reincarnation of Biomedical Journals as Hypertext Comic Books, Nature Medicine Rights, Wrongs and Journals in the age of Cyberspace. BMJ

Scienfic Communcation It is now that the metamorphosis will take place. Metamorphosis of Scienfic Communcation

As Gregor Samsa awoke from disturbing dreams one morning, Kafka, The Metamorphosis As Gregor Samsa awoke from disturbing dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous bug. How will scientific communication Metamorphosize? Slavicek

“It is an exceptional apparatus” Kafka, the Penal Colony Shouldn’t we strive for an Evidence Based Research Communication process? In the Penal colony the apparatus, but we must not question it. Perhaps this has been the problem for scientific journals, isn’t it time that we evolve and evidenced based research communications system?

A striking alteration in appearance character, or circumstances How will journals metamorphosize? Will they turn into a beautiful butterfly, or an ugly dung beetle?

A striking alteration in appearance character, or circumstances Metamorphosis A striking alteration in appearance character, or circumstances How will journals metamorphosize? Will they turn into a beautiful butterfly, or an ugly dung beetle?

Learning from Journals IMRD Traditional Peer Review These are the core to the existing paper journal system. Is there any strong scientific evidence that these are the best?

The migration to the web by the major journals has primarily been business as usual.

Molecular Biology Lab 1996 1992 1931 In the modern molecular biology laboratories, it is unlikely that instruments over 50 years old are used, except one tool. 1997

The lancet can be found, which is 180 years old, and journals in general 300 years old. Perhaps we should look for evidence as to the adequacy for 300 scientific tools.

Language of Science? We believe that the metamorphosis of scientific communication will come from a very unlikely source, PowerPoint.

250,000,000 have it on our computers 95% use PP 30,000,000 lectures created/day 250,000,000 have it on our computers Hypertext, colors, and sound makes it interesting Copyright belongs in hands of authors Easy to print, send email, put on web Extremely easy to use Cheap, Cheap, Cheap Policy makers understand PP Very easy grammar We as authors receive no money from Microsoft, in fact we do not even like the approaches Microsoft uses. However, it is a darn good, ubiquitous product that has taken over one area of scientific communication, the lecture.

Journal Article PowerPoint Slide Epidemiology of Insulin The journal article and the PowerPoint presentation both are forms of research communications. Epidemiology of Insulin Dependent Diabetes, LaPorte, et al.

Here is an example of a typical type of writing in “journal jargon” Here is an example of a typical type of writing in “journal jargon”. We learn scientific jargon late in life as graduate students in our mid 20s. It is difficult to read, and even more difficult to write. Few outside our specific disciplines can understand our writings.

A simple graphic as above encapsulates most of the information of the previous slide. Should the specifics be needed, the text is clickable.

PowerPoint Lectures on the Web Unbeknownst to scientists more and more PowerPoint slides are multiplying on the web.

Scientific Information Sharing Napster and Scientific Information Sharing Napster may be the key to finding current scientific knowledge that scientist have.

On web has evolved the concept of P 2 P, this is where we share files with others worldwide. This has been the almost exclusive domain of music (MP3) files, but can easily be used with .ppt files. Peer to Peer

To demonstrate how this might work, this represents some of the To demonstrate how this might work, this represents some of the .ppt files on one’s hard drive.

One can designate the files to be shared.

These files can be transferred to a central server for branding, and digital marking of date for further distribution.

Should a person in Moscow want to find out information concerning the Supercourse, the files are found and distributed for essentially no cost.

The concept can be broadened globally in the same way as MP3 files.

Diffusion of Technology There is a very predictable diffusion of technology curve. In the early 1900s there was a billion dollar industry that was crushed in 5 years, similar findings occurred with CDs. The open warfare between publishing companies, using their army of lawyers and consumers in an attempt to halt the diffusion of music sharing technology. This warfare may be our future as well.