The Scientific Journal

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Not since the printing press has a media object been as pivotal in advancing knowledge as the scientific journal. Central to the identity of academic scientists and the public legitimacy of scientific knowledge, the journal's significance evolved over time. In the early nineteenth century, academies and societies dominated the study of the natural world, with journals often viewed with suspicion. This work narrates the transformation of the scientific journal, focusing on nineteenth-century London and Paris, where scholars sought to redefine scientific life amid shifting political landscapes and the rising influence of the press. The journal's emergence was not a natural solution for communicating discoveries; instead, it resulted from a complex interplay of political needs, evolving epistemic values, intellectual property issues, and commercial demands. Many challenges in contemporary scholarly publishing trace back to these origins. As we navigate a period of experimentation in publishing platforms, peer review, and information curation, understanding the journal's history is essential for envisioning future methods of knowledge expression and organization.