Do you know how much it costs to gain access to a scholarly journal? A recent search I conducted (without AI) revealed that, for an article published in 2009, I would have to pay $38 dollars to access that one article. But not permanently. Just for 24 hours, after which it would disappear. I’m not sure I’ve ever read an entire book compelling enough to pay that much, let alone a single article I couldn’t actually keep. But, such is the journal system, a system I know well as I have several articles locked away behind their paywalls that very few people will ever be able to penetrate.
On top of that, scholars are told to write in a such a way that the journals prefer, as their careers and livelihoods depend on publication and citation. But, does anyone outside of our academic bubble actually find this writing accessible? So, academia produces work that is both literally and figuratively impossible to access. And it’s a problem.
What if I told you it didn’t have to be this way? Sure, the journals own the articles and they can’t just be re-produced wholesale, just like an issue of a magazine or a book. But say you wanted to read about research that had interesting findings that had an impact on the current world? Even just on your way to work, or, if you’re a teacher or principal, getting your students to learn about what’s new and well-researched instead of something that was pushed to them via the algorithm?
I present to you, The JPB Index, which is a joke about the “H Index,” a ranking system for scholarly publications, if you’re unfamiliar. My name is Dr. JPB Gerald, I’m a frequently-published and -cited scholar and author, and I want to bring scholarship to the masses in the best way I can. For a low monthly subscription fee, members will receive a curated research review with ten article summaries – with full permission and cooperation of the authors, and no AI scraping – that cover a wide array of topics, from education to science, history to language, and anything I feel needs to be shared with the world. Departments, schools, and other institutions have a wide array of membership options that can be customized to their particular needs, including the option to work with the publishing scholars on the creation of classroom materials and/or hiring them to work with staff and students. Most things are possible, just reach out and we’ll make it work.
You and I both know that misinformation is rampant, yet we also know that scholarship isn’t reaching everyone, no matter how impactful its findings may be.
In short, I am trying to build out a large enough community such that I can help scholars rise from obscurity into prominence and help beat back a rotten system that benefits very few. I have plenty of scholars ready and eager to have their work shared with you and everyone else, and the more people who get on board, the more knowledge can be shared.
Ultimately, I want people to learn, and I want scholars to be heard (and paid). If this interests you at all, please visit the site (URL forthcoming), and let’s get to work.
Thanks for reading.
Dr. JPB Gerald
JPB Gerald 