Nature injects Sermo buttons

Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is to allow online readers of its articles the opportunity to discuss them on Sermo, the US site for doctors.

Sermo, which launched in September 2006 and has 50,000 users, is a free networking site where doctors can share information and discuss clinical issues.

Under the agreement, which takes effect in March, NPG will add Discuss On Sermo buttons to the online versions of articles in 12 medical journals.

Initially, a Discuss On Sermo button will be added only to new articles, but NPG hopes eventually to put the Sermo buttons on archived articles too.

The full text of all articles from a selection of NPG medical journals will also be made freely available to registered users of Sermo.

NPG publisher Joy Moore said NPG would be given access to the comments (which are anonymous) about its articles, which would provide it with valuable feedback.

“We are opening ourselves up to invite our readers to say exactly what they think,” Moore said. “Is the content in the medical literature useful? Is it serving their needs on a day-to-day basis? We feel it’s important to make sure our publications are as relevant as possible.”

Moore added that she hoped the agreement would lead to “a greater readership and extended subscriber base” for the group’s publications.
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