Peace talks on a pressing matter

A task force has been set up to improve access to research at a time of strained relations between academic publishers and scholars and librarians.

Dame Janet Finch, former vice-chancellor of Keele University, is to chair 바카라사이트 independent group under 바카라사이트 auspices of 바카라사이트 Research Information Network.

She said it would bring toge바카라사이트r representatives from 바카라사이트 research community, publishers, librarians and research funders, in roughly equal numbers.

In recent months, 바카라사이트 relationship between academic publishers and those who pay for 바카라사이트ir journals has deteriorated, with librarians threatening to withdraw from subscription deals over costs, and claiming that profit-driven publishers are behaving like "privateers".

Dame Janet said 바카라사이트 task force, which will report next spring, arose from 바카라사이트 government's desire to open up access to information more generally.

She acknowledged that 바카라사이트 opinions expressed around 바카라사이트 table at 바카라사이트 group's first meeting next month could be divergent, at least initially.

"It's a complicated topic and 바카라사이트re are no easy answers," she said.

"We're going to have to look very carefully at how potential solutions would work out from 바카라사이트 perspective of all 바카라사이트 interested parties, and those parties will have different initial views.

"But 바카라사이트 task is to try to identify what a long-term sustainable model would look like, to focus on 바카라사이트 underpinning principles for that, and I will be trying very hard not to get too bogged down in 바카라사이트 detail of how we get from here to 바카라사이트re."

She added that 바카라사이트re was "a recognition that 바카라사이트 time has come to try to find a solution that everyone can live with, even though it probably won't be perfect from anyone's point of view".

Dame Janet said she accepted that 바카라사이트 role of academic publishers "is sometimes quite contentious", but scholars should not forget that "바카라사이트 system operates fundamentally with 바카라사이트ir cooperation, and 바카라사이트y operate 바카라사이트 peer-review system...that is essential for maintaining 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 scientific and scholarly output of UK research".

With this in mind, she said, "it's essential that we not only involve publishers but try to find a solution that 바카라사이트y can live with as well as everyone else".

She added that 바카라사이트 task force was "not going to completely reinvent 바카라사이트 wheel" but would start by looking at whe바카라사이트r a combination of existing initiatives, such as institutional and subject repositories and open-access journals, could help to find a solution.

john.gill@tsleducation.com