The world of academic publishing, which directly or indirectly influences doctors’ decisions in clinical practice, is in a state of flux.

According to publishing innovation and ethics expert Professor Ginny Barbour, from Queensland University of Technology, peer-reviewed medical journals face “large-scale disruption”.

Writing in the MJA, Professor Barbour, a founding editor of PLOS Medicine and the executive officer of the Australian Open Access Support Group, says academic publishing is on an irreversible path to change.

“As we move towards an interconnected digital future, it is becoming increasingly obvious that a system whose core business model rests on controlling access is an anachronism,” she writes.