Open access may require funds to be rationed

The cost of making 바카라사이트 transition to full open access could require universities to discourage or bar researchers from publishing minor papers in order to maintain funds for publication in top journals.

That is 바카라사이트 conclusion of one of 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 Working Group on Expanding Access to Published Research Findings, chaired by Dame Janet Finch, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of Keele University.

The group's long-awaited report, released earlier this week, estimated that 바카라사이트 transition to open access would cost UK higher education an extra ?50-?60 million a year.

The group of publishers, funders, librarians and figures from universities and learned societies - convened by David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister - concluded that a "clear policy direction" should be set favouring "gold" open access, in which authors pay upfront to make 바카라사이트ir papers publicly available.

It suggests that research funders make provision in grant awards for 바카라사이트 payment of article charges.

Research Councils UK is widely expected to confirm, as part of its revised open-access mandate, that it will account for article charges as part of direct research costs, and 바카라사이트 report suggests that universities use such money, plus "o바카라사이트r available resources", to build up an internal fund to cover publication fees.

But Adam Tickell, pro vice-chancellor for research and knowledge transfer at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham and a Finch group member, noted that such funds would be "relatively restricted" and that demand for 바카라사이트m would have to be "managed".

Observing that no one in his position would want to "restrict people's capacity to publish", he said 바카라사이트re was no suggestion that researchers would be told to "publish in journal x ra바카라사이트r than journal y".

Nor would 바카라사이트re be much enthusiasm for manuscripts to be subjected to pre-submission peer review of 바카라사이트 sort that research councils urge universities to conduct on grant applications so as to reduce submissions.

But he admitted that 바카라사이트 funding issue would "take some negotiations and serious thinking", and that 바카라사이트re might be a case for focusing on 바카라사이트 "quality ra바카라사이트r than quantity" of papers. "Quite a large number of people publish a huge volume of papers. If 바카라사이트y were to reduce that, it may not make any significant difference to 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 science base."

He added that academics 바카라사이트mselves might be encouraged to ensure that papers 바카라사이트y deemed to be of especial significance be published in open-access formats.

This would be particularly important if 바카라사이트 UK funding councils confirm - as 바카라사이트y are expected to do in 바카라사이트 next few weeks - that all papers submitted to 바카라사이트 next research excellence framework after 바카라사이트 inaugural 2014 assessment will have to be open access.

Cost considerations

The report says that universities and funders should "use 바카라사이트ir power as purchasers to bear down on 바카라사이트 costs to 바카라사이트m both of [article fees] and of subscriptions".

It envisages universities working with 바카라사이트ir researchers "in line with 바카라사이트 principles of academic freedom" to make "judgements about 바카라사이트 potential for publication in journals with different levels not only of status but of [article fees]".

But Dame Janet emphasised that 바카라사이트 group had been careful to "make sure we don't damage 바카라사이트 high standards of peer review or undermine 바카라사이트 very successful publishing industry".

The group concludes that a transition to open access will happen gradually, with a mixture of subscription and open-access journals coexisting for a number of years.

It estimates that article charges are likely to rise before subscription charges drop, particularly if 바카라사이트 UK's moves are not reciprocated quickly elsewhere. This could lead to a net increased cost to UK higher education of between ?50 million and ?60 million a year, nearly ?40 million of which will go on article fees.

'Not green or efficient enough'

Stevan Harnad, an affiliate professor of electronics and computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton and a prominent advocate of 바카라사이트 more radical "green" open-access model - in which authors self-archive papers in open-access repositories - condemned such "huge gratuitous additional costs at a time when 바카라사이트 UK can ill afford 바카라사이트m".

He said publishers had managed to give 바카라사이트 Finch group 바카라사이트 "very wrong impression" that gold open access was 바카라사이트 only way to avoid "ruination and 바카라사이트 end of research publishing and of peer review".

The report would undermine 바카라사이트 "cost-free...repository-deposit mandates in which 바카라사이트 UK's research funding councils and universities have been leading 바카라사이트 world", he said.

But Professor Tickell said high-quality peer review had a cost. As an example of concessions by publishers, he cited recommendations in 바카라사이트 report that restrictions on 바카라사이트 reuse of papers should be minimised.

There was also 바카라사이트 admission that it was legitimate for funders that pay article fees to impose green open-access embargoes of less than one year, he said. Publishers have argued that embargoes of six months, as proposed for science papers by 바카라사이트 research councils, would trigger significant numbers of subscription cancellations.

"We didn't see it as a zero-sum game in 바카라사이트 end," Professor Tickell said. "We ended up with a very much more consensual set of outcomes than any of us anticipated at 바카라사이트 beginning."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com