The concept of scientists being able to share their findings which could stimulate erudite discourse and advancement of knowledge can be traced to a member of The Royal Society of London, Henry Oldenburg who decided "...that many Minds and Hands are in many places industriously employed,..." in pursuing science and deserve a forum where they could publish their ideas. On May 30th, 1665 (five years after the Royal Society was founded) the first scientific journal was published. One of the articles published in the first issue of Philosophical Transactions: Giving Some Accompt of the Present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours of the Ingenious In Many Considerable Parts of the World. This is a bit of a mouthful, and the journal is now called Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society and at 355 years, is the oldest scientific journal in existence. Here is one of the submitted pieces from the inaugural edition, entitled "A Spot in one of the Belts of Jupiter".

The Ingenious Mr. Hook did, some moneths since, intimate to a friend of his, that he had, with an excellent twelve foot Telescope, observed, some days before, he than spoke of it, (videl. on the ninth of May, 1664. about 9 of the clock at night) a small spot in the biggest of the 3 obscurer Belts of Jupiter, and that, observing it from time to time, he found, that within 2 hours after,the said Spot had moved from East to West, about half the length of the Diameter of Jupiter.