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Re: [ccp4bb]: [SUMMARY]: Problems with PDB entry 1muo

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Chris Prodromou <Chris.Prodromou@icr.ac.uk>, 23/04/2003:
> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 15:54:21 +0100
> From: "Chris Prodromou" <Chris.Prodromou@icr.ac.uk>
> To: <ccp4bb@dl.ac.uk>, <o-info@origo.imsb.au.dk>, <pdb-l@sdsc.edu>,
> 	<mol@ysbl.york.ac.uk>
> Subject: Re: [ccp4bb]: [SUMMARY]: Problems with PDB entry 1muo
> 
> Dear Colleague,
> While I agree with you that coordinates should be made available once structures are published pressure to do so will also cause its own problems. The situation is not as simple as you project in your email and here is some food for thought.
> 
> Researchers who obtain structures may not wish to lose the advantage that their work has generated and may put off publishing for a year or so to keep the advantage. They could present there structures at meetings and publish later. 
> 

Hi Chris,

I think I'm not being naive,  I actually tried to point out the "keeping
the advantage" problem in my message.  As I said there, I think that the
reasons for this behaviour come from the ever more competitive nature of
the  work  we  are  doing,  and  from  the  interference  of  industrial
objectives (profit) with scientific  aims.  Of course, one should always
try and tackle the profound causes, not only the symptoms, but when this
is not easy, we cannot simply stay and accept all the effects. 

> secondly, they may chose to publish in Journals which don't have strict polycies about deposition of coordinates.

Pressure on the journals  should correct this.  Competitivity means also
that you  want to publish in  the better possible journals,  not just in
any journal... 

> 
> This means that structures may become less readily available in the long run.
>

I  think this  is a  sophism: the  absence of  an accountable  system of
public  release of data  makes structures  less readily  accessible, the
implementation  of such system  may certainly  cause some  troubles, but
won't make  the things worse.  After all, thanks  to the PDB and  to the
pressure that  others have put on  the system have made  these data more
available, and "secrecy" a less respectable conduct. 

Cheers,

Miguel
-- 
Miguel Ortiz Lombardía
email: mol@ysbl.york.ac.uk
http://www.ysbl.york.ac.uk/~mol
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