Academic social network Mendeley generates 100 million API calls a month
(Phys.org)—Publishing scientific papers is big business, so is connecting the dots between papers that are published and offering reports to those looking for reliable information about them. To fill the first need, scientific journals have evolved from paper only publications to online portals that offer researchers a very public platform for showcasing their work, even if most of those that wish to read the papers must go through a pay-wall. To satisfy the second need, two types of establishments have come about. The first is where companies charge people to access information about published papers and the second is where they offer it for free to anyone who wishes access under a Creative Commons agreement. At this point, it appears the second approach is winning.