There’s a good argument for encouraging academics and scientists to venture beyond their own discipline and delve into subjects outside their expertise. It can deliver valuable insights on the ‘bigger picture’ of how one’s research adds value to the body of human knowledge, and highlight previously unmade connections that might lead to new discoveries and advances in science.
The major hurdle – as explored by Thilo Koerkel in his guest post for ‘The Scholarly Kitchen’ – is publishing literature that bridges the conceptual gap between original research papers and generalist publications, to offer: “… an appropriate balance of simplicity and complexity for researchers with different specializations, policymakers, decision-makers, funders, early career scientists, journalists, educated generalists – in short, for those less likely to read the original research but who have an in-depth interest in the science presented.”
Read more at: https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2023/03/15/guest-post-open-access-beyond-scholarly-journals/