THE Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh (RBGE) has digitised and published online, free of charge, its entire back catalogue and archive, following a five-year project.
The Botanics said that the digitisation and publications of such an extensive back catalogue free of charge is a “game-changer” for international botany research and “breaks with the mould” of many journals locking publications behind a paywall.
Included in the 1,831 scientific papers released from the Edinburgh Journal of Botany and its predecessor Notes from the RBGE are introductions to species not previously described scientifically.
The Edinburgh Journal of Botany is mostly responsible for the publication, with the journal’s editor-in-chief, Dr Peter Wilkie, making it a priority since taking over the post in 2020 to ensure free access to archives.
Covered in the papers is the mycology of Beatrix Potter, the first research paper of early 20th century Scottish plant hunter and explorer George Forrest, and early writings expressing concerns about plant health.
The Edinburgh Journal of Botany, published by the RBGE, is a highly regarded, internationally recognised journal on botany and biodiversity.
They publish articles relating to plant and fungal taxonomy and systematics, biodiversity, conservation science, and phytogeography.
Most peer-reviewed journals like this require a subscription or fee to access their back catalogues, so this publication is a significant break from the norm.
Dr Wilkie says that this is an important step in ensuring open dialogue between botanists and an unrestricted research environment.
In a statement, he said: “At a time when biodiversity is under increasing threat, we need to act quickly. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a truly global institute and, dating back to 1670, the knowledge amassed from international partnerships is considerable.
“Since taking up this post in autumn 2020, my priority has been to switch production of the journal to an online-only Diamond Open Access model, free from charges for authors and readers, and for it to be managed and published in-house.
“To make this scientific data freely available is an important step in helping accelerate research and providing resources for all, irrespective of where in the world you are.”
Professor Dr Adil Güner, editor-in-chief of The Illustrated Flora of Turkey Project, based in Istanbul, said: “Having these scientific papers freely available is an invaluable resource for us in preparing The illustrated Flora of Turkey.
“This is particularly important to a wide range of researchers who need access to the wealth of information on the Turkish flora, and that of our neighbouring countries, contained in these volumes but who do not have easy access to the large botanical libraries in Istanbul.”
This is particularly important given the global coverage of the journal’s archives.
It is a particularly valued publication in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Central America, Brazil, and the Sino-Himalayan region.
Dr Bhaskar Adhikari, from Nepal, a research scientist at Edinburgh specialising in the biodiversity of Asia, stated: “The digital archive is a game changer, not just for botanists in Bhutan but also Nepal and India.
“They will be so excited to hear they can now access these papers online.”
