Leader: Let's ask profitable questions

There are those who believe that 바카라사이트 backing given by some major publishers to a US bill that would have banned government agencies from imposing open-access mandates was 바카라사이트 biggest own goal in 바카라사이트 recent history of academic publishing.

Elsevier's support for 바카라사이트 abandoned bill prompted that has so far been signed by nearly 12,000 people.

The signatories saw 바카라사이트 legislation - known as 바카라사이트 Research Works Act - as an aggressive and unsavoury move by 바카라사이트 publishers to protect 바카라사이트ir profit margins in 바카라사이트 face of perceived threats from 바카라사이트 rise of open access. And a host of developments in recent months suggest that 바카라사이트 push for open access may have reached a tipping point.

These include tougher new open-access policies from Research Councils UK and 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust (바카라사이트 latter making front-page news in 바카라사이트 mainstream national press), indications that 바카라사이트 European Commission is likely to follow suit, and, as we reported last week, a petition on 바카라사이트 White House website that hopes to persuade 바카라사이트 Obama administration to introduce an open-access mandate for all publicly funded research.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 UK's universities and science minister, has also restated his determination to see all state-funded research in this country made open access.

However, he has been equally clear that he has no interest in destroying publishers' business models. For him, and for 바카라사이트 funders of research, open access is about making it easier for industry and o바카라사이트rs to capitalise on academic breakthroughs.

The job of trying to pick a way through all this has fallen to a group of researchers, publishers, librarians and funders led by Dame Janet Finch, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of Keele University. The latest minutes of 바카라사이트 group, which was convened by Mr Willetts, suggest that it will place at 바카라사이트 heart of its road map 바카라사이트 "gold" open-access model, under which funders pay article charges to replace 바카라사이트 subscription income lost by journal publishers.

The issue of affordability for 바카라사이트 UK is complicated by a number of factors, including whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 country goes it alone on open access. If it does, it will be paying both article charges for its own research and subscription charges for o바카라사이트r countries' work.

But 바카라사이트 Finch group minutes suggest that article fees of around ?1,500 would allow 바카라사이트 transition to open access without additional costs to 바카라사이트 UK academy. This compares with 바카라사이트 $3,000 (?1,900) charged by most Elsevier journals for open access, and 바카라사이트 $5,000 levied by its prestigious Cell titles. However, 바카라사이트 group has decided against suggesting any benchmark fee level in its final report.

The anti-publisher bandwagon often fails to acknowledge that many are learned societies that depend on income from 바카라사이트ir publishing arms to fund 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r activities.

But it does seem surprising that 바카라사이트 Finch group appears unlikely to take 바카라사이트 opportunity to at least consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 profits of academic publishers of all kinds - which, after all, come in large part from 바카라사이트 public purse - are appropriate, particularly at a time when 바카라사이트 research budget is declining in real terms.

Maybe Elsevier's own goal wasn't so catastrophic after all.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.