Comments on: Harvard Library to faculty: we're going broke unless you go open access http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 07:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: auralee http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1405160 auralee Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1405160 I'd just like to note, these problems illustrate the dangers inherent in relying on the Cloud in general: we can't count on being able to publish or access info at a fair price – even info we created or paid to have created – unless we own and control the facilities that we rely on to publish and access it (or unless we make sure sufficient checks and balances from competing interests are built into the system). I’d just like to note, these problems illustrate the dangers inherent in relying on the Cloud in general: we can’t count on being able to publish or access info at a fair price – even info we created or paid to have created – unless we own and control the facilities that we rely on to publish and access it (or unless we make sure sufficient checks and balances from competing interests are built into the system).

]]> By: pjcamp http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404302 pjcamp Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404302  They're also just as likely to be expensive. I've submitted things to Physical Review Special Topics, for instance. Their page charges to authors are prohibitively high for anything other than short paper on small ideas. What's happened is that basically the same publication model has had the cost burden shifted from libraries to authors. There's some justice in that, so long as the author has a grant. If you don't, there's not. Nevertheless, I don't think PRST should go the way of Elsevier. It is a step away from evil, if not a large step. Sometimes I noodle around with ideas about how something like peer review could be added to arXiv. But that isn't going to happen any time soon. At the end of the day, the system is supported by P&T committees depending on peer reviewed publications, preferably on paper, above all else. So long as that is where the rewards come from, nothing else changes. But the thing is, science didn't always work this way. It is actually a pretty recent innovation.  They’re also just as likely to be expensive. I’ve submitted things to Physical Review Special Topics, for instance. Their page charges to authors are prohibitively high for anything other than short paper on small ideas. What’s happened is that basically the same publication model has had the cost burden shifted from libraries to authors. There’s some justice in that, so long as the author has a grant. If you don’t, there’s not. Nevertheless, I don’t think PRST should go the way of Elsevier. It is a step away from evil, if not a large step. Sometimes I noodle around with ideas about how something like peer review could be added to arXiv. But that isn’t going to happen any time soon. At the end of the day, the system is supported by P&T committees depending on peer reviewed publications, preferably on paper, above all else. So long as that is where the rewards come from, nothing else changes. But the thing is, science didn’t always work this way. It is actually a pretty recent innovation.

]]> By: velvetfish1 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404244 velvetfish1 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404244 That's absolutely right.  This issue is much larger and about the public's right to know and have ready access to information.  Sure we need people and businesses who can facilitate that.  However, we don't nee business and people, who attempt to structure pay-walls to information at exorbitant prices by virtue of the nearly monopolized nature of the market. What many don't recognize is that if the publishers win this.  It may not be long before all your favorite websites are behind a pay-wall as well. That’s absolutely right.  This issue is much larger and about the public’s right to know and have ready access to information.  Sure we need people and businesses who can facilitate that.  However, we don’t nee business and people, who attempt to structure pay-walls to information at exorbitant prices by virtue of the nearly monopolized nature of the market.

What many don’t recognize is that if the publishers win this.  It may not be long before all your favorite websites are behind a pay-wall as well.

]]> By: velvetfish1 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404238 velvetfish1 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404238 The important thing is not they are either widely read or widely understood, but that they are available on that rare occasion that they may actually be vital to a particular line of inquiry. That's just the way research works.  Its silly to suggest that you can identify the valuable material in advance.  Knowledge is simply to interconnected and some "irrelevant fact" published in some "obscure journal" may well just be the key piece of information that may unlock the next breakthrough that changes the world forever. The important thing is not they are either widely read or widely understood, but that they are available on that rare occasion that they may actually be vital to a particular line of inquiry.

That’s just the way research works.  Its silly to suggest that you can identify the valuable material in advance.  Knowledge is simply to interconnected and some “irrelevant fact” published in some “obscure journal” may well just be the key piece of information that may unlock the next breakthrough that changes the world forever.

]]> By: velvetfish1 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404232 velvetfish1 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404232 Its not really the problem, since the cost of producing an electronic journal is much smaller than the cost of paying the large publishing houses.  Universities could use the savings to subsidize their own faculty and student publication costs with the savings. The bigger problem is that tenure, prestige, and historical knowledge locked in world journals are held under copyright of the publishers. Its not really the problem, since the cost of producing an electronic journal is much smaller than the cost of paying the large publishing houses.  Universities could use the savings to subsidize their own faculty and student publication costs with the savings.

The bigger problem is that tenure, prestige, and historical knowledge locked in world journals are held under copyright of the publishers.

]]> By: velvetfish1 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404230 velvetfish1 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404230 Perhaps, but journals don't charge individuals $45,000 per volume.  This fight is going on all over the world and entire disciplines are beginning to boycott the worst offenders, such as in mathematics, where Timothy Gower, Field Medalist is leading the way.  In two to three years, libraries and non-profits will begin to take over and for profit journals will be unable to find referees and editors, which presently mostly work for free.  Why should some CEO get a 6 figure salary, when they do nothing but manage a monopoly on the otherwise free exchange of ideas? Besides it makes no sense for taxpayers either, who first pay for the research to be published and then must pay private publishers again to read it.  No industry can expect to raise its prices 40-50% ever year and expect to retain its customers.  The reality is that the big publishing houses are rapidly pricing themselves out of the market.  Berkley, MIT, Caltech and other major research  universities are all reaching the same conclusion. Perhaps, but journals don’t charge individuals $45,000 per volume.  This fight is going on all over the world and entire disciplines are beginning to boycott the worst offenders, such as in mathematics, where Timothy Gower, Field Medalist is leading the way.  In two to three years, libraries and non-profits will begin to take over and for profit journals will be unable to find referees and editors, which presently mostly work for free.  Why should some CEO get a 6 figure salary, when they do nothing but manage a monopoly on the otherwise free exchange of ideas?

Besides it makes no sense for taxpayers either, who first pay for the research to be published and then must pay private publishers again to read it.  No industry can expect to raise its prices 40-50% ever year and expect to retain its customers.  The reality is that the big publishing houses are rapidly pricing themselves out of the market.  Berkley, MIT, Caltech and other major research  universities are all reaching the same conclusion.

]]> By: barbara fister http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404213 barbara fister Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404213  OA journals are just as likely as toll access journals to be peer reviewed. ArXiv isn't a journal. (It is, however, awesome.)  OA journals are just as likely as toll access journals to be peer reviewed. ArXiv isn’t a journal. (It is, however, awesome.)

]]> By: barbara fister http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404211 barbara fister Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404211  Most OA journals don't charge authors. Those that do usually have a way of lowering the cost if the author can't pay.  Most OA journals don’t charge authors. Those that do usually have a way of lowering the cost if the author can’t pay.

]]> By: barbara fister http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404210 barbara fister Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404210  Many electronic journals either prohibit interlibrary loans or require libraries to do this: one, print out article, hoping it will look crappy. Two, scan article, to make it crappier. Three send scan. At my library, we end up buying articles because the library that would love to simply send us a PDF is prohibited (even if they spend tens of thousands on the subscription). Also, libraries have to pay the publisher a copyright fee if they ask for more than five articles from any single journal published in the past five years. The fee is usually $30-$50 per article. That's for the right to ask for a copy that another library will actually supply. How can "let another library buy it for us" be any kind of long-term solution to a problem that is so fixable?  Many electronic journals either prohibit interlibrary loans or require libraries to do this: one, print out article, hoping it will look crappy. Two, scan article, to make it crappier. Three send scan.

At my library, we end up buying articles because the library that would love to simply send us a PDF is prohibited (even if they spend tens of thousands on the subscription). Also, libraries have to pay the publisher a copyright fee if they ask for more than five articles from any single journal published in the past five years. The fee is usually $30-$50 per article. That’s for the right to ask for a copy that another library will actually supply.

How can “let another library buy it for us” be any kind of long-term solution to a problem that is so fixable?

]]> By: the_proph http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1404023 the_proph Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1404023 i work for a major social science org with a huge publishing wing, and boy, let me tell ya how far into the earth our heels are dug. we're fighting congress and the obama administration to keep our profits, while it seems like what they want is to get the public meaningful access to studies that were, uhh, publicly funded. kind of amazed our kind haven't been slammed in the media yet, but there must be bigger fish to fry. meanwhile, we protect our turf, roll along in an inefficient bureaucracy, and never consider that a swipe at our profits maybe should be a call for some organizational soul-searching... whadda I know...i'm mid-level. i work for a major social science org with a huge publishing wing, and boy, let me tell ya how far into the earth our heels are dug. we’re fighting congress and the obama administration to keep our profits, while it seems like what they want is to get the public meaningful access to studies that were, uhh, publicly funded. kind of amazed our kind haven’t been slammed in the media yet, but there must be bigger fish to fry. meanwhile, we protect our turf, roll along in an inefficient bureaucracy, and never consider that a swipe at our profits maybe should be a call for some organizational soul-searching…

whadda I know…i’m mid-level.

]]> By: Toady http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403939 Toady Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403939 There are already tons of blogs hosting vast archives of freely accessible research papers. Here's one: http://hpathy.com/ Here's another: http://www.idthefuture.com/ There are already tons of blogs hosting vast archives of freely accessible research papers. Here’s one:

http://hpathy.com/

Here’s another:

http://www.idthefuture.com/

]]> By: Toady http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403924 Toady Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403924 How would it be possible for Elsevier, Springer, or Wiley to cut off an institution's subscription to Nature or Science? The Nature Group is an arm of Macmillan and Science is a society journal (AAAS). For a debate taking place within academia, there sure is a lot of uninformed commentary. How would it be possible for Elsevier, Springer, or Wiley to cut off an institution’s subscription to Nature or Science? The Nature Group is an arm of Macmillan and Science is a society journal (AAAS).

For a debate taking place within academia, there sure is a lot of uninformed commentary.

]]> By: Preston Sturges http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403768 Preston Sturges Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403768 Not the same as getting published in a journal with a decent Impact Factor and listed in MedLine. Not the same as getting published in a journal with a decent Impact Factor and listed in MedLine.

]]> By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403674 Guest Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403674 If the HBS problem can be solved, a lot can be righted in the world. If the HBS problem can be solved, a lot can be righted in the world.

]]> By: Jenny Reiswig http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403658 Jenny Reiswig Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403658 Encouraging faculty to publish open access? Great.  Encouraging a library system the size of Harvard to license pay-per-view? Ummm, what?  Encouraging faculty to publish open access? Great.  Encouraging a library system the size of Harvard to license pay-per-view? Ummm, what? 

]]> By: Jenny Reiswig http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403657 Jenny Reiswig Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403657 Quite a number of commercial publishers also have page fees, color fees etc. It's not something the OA publishers invented. Quite a number of commercial publishers also have page fees, color fees etc. It’s not something the OA publishers invented.

]]> By: Ian Clarke http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403552 Ian Clarke Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403552 Put the paper on your blog, it's 2012 for crying out loud! Put the paper on your blog, it’s 2012 for crying out loud!

]]> By: Ian Clarke http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403549 Ian Clarke Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403549 Journals serve no purpose in the Internet age, they charge through the nose for papers that they didn't write, it's a total boondoggle.  Why shouldn't papers be posted on blogs?  Make them freely accessible and searchable.  If the papers are useful they won't disappear, and even if they do, they'll be available permanently via archive.org and other sites. Journals serve no purpose in the Internet age, they charge through the nose for papers that they didn’t write, it’s a total boondoggle.  Why shouldn’t papers be posted on blogs?  Make them freely accessible and searchable.  If the papers are useful they won’t disappear, and even if they do, they’ll be available permanently via archive.org and other sites.

]]> By: dramallamaorama http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403536 dramallamaorama Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403536 Down with ElSevier, Springer, and Wiley!  Journal costs were rising before the funding crisis at an average of 9%.  If you try to "break" your bundle, then these companies threaten to cut off access to ALL of your subscriptions (such as Nature and Science).  They have a monopoly on this information because they own the copyright.  The only way this will change is if the universities all revolt at once and their faculty deny them the articles and work product in the first place. Down with ElSevier, Springer, and Wiley!  Journal costs were rising before the funding crisis at an average of 9%.  If you try to “break” your bundle, then these companies threaten to cut off access to ALL of your subscriptions (such as Nature and Science).  They have a monopoly on this information because they own the copyright.  The only way this will change is if the universities all revolt at once and their faculty deny them the articles and work product in the first place.

]]> By: Andromeda Yelton http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403529 Andromeda Yelton Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403529 There are a great many peer-reviewed OA journals.  See, e.g., http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/dean/peer_reviewed.htm There are a great many peer-reviewed OA journals.  See, e.g., http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/dean/peer_reviewed.htm

]]> By: Andromeda Yelton http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403527 Andromeda Yelton Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403527 Cushing Academy (a prep school in MA) moved to an all-digital library recently.  There are some libraries that circulate e-readers -- Buffy Hamilton, a librarian at a public high school, is the highest-profile blogger about this, if you want more depth http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/ The thing is, it just doesn't work very well.  The licensing terms, etc., on commercial ebooks are based around a consumer model, not an institutional/lending model.  So libraries encounter problems like: * You can't purchase an ebook, and then let people read it on whichever reader happens to be available for loan right now.  The ebook is tied to the ereader.  You can generally load it on a couple of ereaders, but not all of them (not even if you're using DRM to maintain a one-copy-one-user model). * This, in addition to being annoying, creates a lot of recordkeeping complexity.  You have to keep track of all the ebook/ereader mappings.  Your library catalog software is not going to support this for you, so basically it's time to be the queen of spreadsheets, and of course your patrons aren't going to be able to answer questions of ebook availability on their own using your catalog. * The terms of service on ebooks and ereaders can be murky on things that matter to libraries (again, since they're designed for a single-user, direct-to-consumer use case).  A couple years ago when people were starting with Kindle lending in libraries, they were doing so in an acknowledged grey area of terms of service, and they got conflicting statements from Amazon reps about whether what they were doing was legal.  Since then Amazon seems to have shifted in the direction of library ereader lending being outside their terms; Barnes & Noble provides some actual support for library lending of Nooks (which is why Buffy's library has shifted to them), but it still doesn't provide a smooth library workflow for the reasons above. Cushing Academy (a prep school in MA) moved to an all-digital library recently.  There are some libraries that circulate e-readers — Buffy Hamilton, a librarian at a public high school, is the highest-profile blogger about this, if you want more depth http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/

The thing is, it just doesn’t work very well.  The licensing terms, etc., on commercial ebooks are based around a consumer model, not an institutional/lending model.  So libraries encounter problems like:

* You can’t purchase an ebook, and then let people read it on whichever reader happens to be available for loan right now.  The ebook is tied to the ereader.  You can generally load it on a couple of ereaders, but not all of them (not even if you’re using DRM to maintain a one-copy-one-user model).

* This, in addition to being annoying, creates a lot of recordkeeping complexity.  You have to keep track of all the ebook/ereader mappings.  Your library catalog software is not going to support this for you, so basically it’s time to be the queen of spreadsheets, and of course your patrons aren’t going to be able to answer questions of ebook availability on their own using your catalog.

* The terms of service on ebooks and ereaders can be murky on things that matter to libraries (again, since they’re designed for a single-user, direct-to-consumer use case).  A couple years ago when people were starting with Kindle lending in libraries, they were doing so in an acknowledged grey area of terms of service, and they got conflicting statements from Amazon reps about whether what they were doing was legal.  Since then Amazon seems to have shifted in the direction of library ereader lending being outside their terms; Barnes & Noble provides some actual support for library lending of Nooks (which is why Buffy’s library has shifted to them), but it still doesn’t provide a smooth library workflow for the reasons above.

]]> By: Kimmo http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403340 Kimmo Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403340 Well, however this racket can be busted, it must happen. This crippling brake on science is intolerable. Well, however this racket can be busted, it must happen.

This crippling brake on science is intolerable.

]]> By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403331 Guest Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403331 dollars to doughnuts the heads of the publishers are mostly Harvard Business grads.  dollars to doughnuts the heads of the publishers are mostly Harvard Business grads. 

]]> By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403329 Guest Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403329 <i>Could be wrong.... </i> If only there were a helpful article you could have read.... Could be wrong….

If only there were a helpful article you could have read….

]]> By: folioinfours http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403306 folioinfours Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403306 To think that Harvard is the only major research institution currently waging this fight would be incorrect. Again, this is a systemic problem that academic libraries all around the country are facing. Harvard is simply spearheading this fight. And again, it's not as simple as "some journals are expensive."  Read about these bundling practices, about the lack of enduring access to archived material as mentioned above. There are so many things about this industry that are shady. To think that Harvard is the only major research institution currently waging this fight would be incorrect. Again, this is a systemic problem that academic libraries all around the country are facing. Harvard is simply spearheading this fight. And again, it’s not as simple as “some journals are expensive.”  Read about these bundling practices, about the lack of enduring access to archived material as mentioned above. There are so many things about this industry that are shady.

]]> By: folioinfours http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403299 folioinfours Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403299  No. This is largely impossible at this time -- not because of any technical hurdles, but because of the draconian and heavy-handed application of copyright law and the sublimation of the first-sale doctrine used by ebook publishers. It would take too much space to get into, but basically when a library buys a book, it owns that book, and get lend it as it likes. When that same library buys that same book in ebook form, it almost always has to license it. This allows publishers to retain all distribution rights, which means they can do things like erase all content after a certain number of borrowers check it out. And this actually happens. This is to say nothing of crippling DRM issues, or instances where publishers simply delete ebooks after having licensed them to libraries with little to no warning, creating holes in collections. Again, the great irony is that, absent the open access movement, the technology that should be leading to a revolution in access to information is being used to do the exact opposite. It's obscene.  No. This is largely impossible at this time — not because of any technical hurdles, but because of the draconian and heavy-handed application of copyright law and the sublimation of the first-sale doctrine used by ebook publishers. It would take too much space to get into, but basically when a library buys a book, it owns that book, and get lend it as it likes. When that same library buys that same book in ebook form, it almost always has to license it. This allows publishers to retain all distribution rights, which means they can do things like erase all content after a certain number of borrowers check it out. And this actually happens. This is to say nothing of crippling DRM issues, or instances where publishers simply delete ebooks after having licensed them to libraries with little to no warning, creating holes in collections. Again, the great irony is that, absent the open access movement, the technology that should be leading to a revolution in access to information is being used to do the exact opposite. It’s obscene.

]]> By: Kimmo http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403274 Kimmo Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403274 I'm thinking Harvard should put their heads together with other large and prestigious universities on this one; surely such an organisation would strike fear into the hearts of those gouging pricks in the journal racket... I’m thinking Harvard should put their heads together with other large and prestigious universities on this one; surely such an organisation would strike fear into the hearts of those gouging pricks in the journal racket…

]]> By: jerwin http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403262 jerwin Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403262 Harvard likes to think that it employs the most influential researchers in the field. Harvard likes to think that it employs the most influential researchers in the field.

]]> By: jerwin http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403239 jerwin Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403239 If the researcher is  good at what he or she does, publishing research in a particular journal creates demand for that journal. Part of a editors job is to make sure that the "important papers" in a particular niche tend to get published in his journal; to develop a community of interest that needs the journal--, and is willing to pay the subscription fees. If these subscription fees are excessive, it bankrupts the library. If the researcher is  good at what he or she does, publishing research in a particular journal creates demand for that journal. Part of a editors job is to make sure that the “important papers” in a particular niche tend to get published in his journal; to develop a community of interest that needs the journal–, and is willing to pay the subscription fees. If these subscription fees are excessive, it bankrupts the library.

]]> By: Preston Sturges http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/harvard-library-to-faculty-we.html#comment-1403209 Preston Sturges Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=156250#comment-1403209 Well when open access journals started, lots of folks figured they'd be able to write meaty review articles (which can be very important publications) to boost their CV and establish credibility in new areas.   But many organizations won't pay those fees because it's not work related, and if someone  is out of work or otherwise strapped for cash, they won't pay for it themselves.  I could pull together a draft of a review article in a couple days and start batting it back and forth with a coauthor, but nobody is going to pay the publication fee for either of us.  We could try to get the fee waived, but we aren't going to write the article first on the hope that it will happen. Well when open access journals started, lots of folks figured they’d be able to write meaty review articles (which can be very important publications) to boost their CV and establish credibility in new areas.   But many organizations won’t pay those fees because it’s not work related, and if someone  is out of work or otherwise strapped for cash, they won’t pay for it themselves.  I could pull together a draft of a review article in a couple days and start batting it back and forth with a coauthor, but nobody is going to pay the publication fee for either of us.  We could try to get the fee waived, but we aren’t going to write the article first on the hope that it will happen.

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