Audible science journals needed
Science journals have been slow to make themselves audible, according to a Correspondence by Wouter M. J. Achten of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Nature 455, 590 (2008). The Correspondence is reproduced here:
Podcasting has become very popular, mainly as a medium for entertainment. But it also holds huge potential for the visually impaired and others, such as dyslexics, who have reading difficulties. Simultaneously reading and listening to read-aloud news articles and scientific papers, for example, could increase readers' concentration and absorption of information. Such audio files would open a new world for the blind or partially sighted.
Software is available that translates text from digital files or directly from the Internet into a listener-friendly audio file, but it is expensive. Some freeware has built-in 'read out-loud' functions, but the quality is generally inferior.
Several newspapers and magazines already offer subscribers podcasts containing complete and navigable issues in read-aloud format. But the scientific press seems to be lagging behind. The Nature podcasts are a good start, but when shall we be able to listen to sections such as Research Highlights, News and Correspondence as downloadable audio?
Comments
I would record a reading of Nature and post it if there weren't going to be any problems with licensing. Maybe allowing the public post to a secure Nature site would be the cheap and quick answer. I think a lot of people would do it. And then, maybe the blind or otherwise disabled could choose the reader they liked best.
Posted by: Jon Huntoon | October 22, 2008 07:05 PM