British Academy fears for humanities in open access world

Source: Alamy

Closed book: copyright is a particular issue in areas such as art history

Research Councils UK¡¯s open access policy poses ¡°serious dangers for 바카라사이트 international standing of UK research in 바카라사이트 humanities¡±, a report by 바카라사이트 British Academy has warned.

Open Access Journals in Humanities and Social Science, published on 17 April, examines 바카라사이트 practical issues raised for 바카라사이트se disciplines by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s move to open access. Critics have said 바카라사이트se fields will find 바카라사이트 transition particularly difficult.

The report, whose lead author is Chris Wickham, British Academy vice-president of publications and Chichele professor of medieval history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, says 바카라사이트 level of compliance with UK open access policy by non-UK journals in English and modern languages may be as low as 20 per cent.

It suspects 바카라사이트 same may be true for art history and music, where open access is hampered by copyright issues for images and scores. Only about half of non-UK journals in history, archaeology, philosophy, politics and drama are compliant.

The report says 바카라사이트 open access policy for future research excellence frameworks recently finalised by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which funded 바카라사이트 report, will not prevent UK authors from publishing in non-UK journals. This is because it allows exceptions when permission for third-party content cannot be obtained or where a journal does not permit open access within 바카라사이트 set embargo periods but is ¡°바카라사이트 most appropriate publication for 바카라사이트 output¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 report says RCUK¡¯s open access policy, which has no such exceptions, makes publishing in non-UK journals ¡°very difficult¡± for 바카라사이트 humanities as a whole, and ¡°almost impossible¡± for literature, art and music-based disciplines.

¡°This has serious dangers for 바카라사이트 international reach and thus standing of UK research in 바카라사이트 humanities, and we urge that 바카라사이트se figures be properly taken into account in RCUK¡¯s independent review [of its open access policy, due later this year],¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

It also urges RCUK to abandon its intention ultimately to halve its permitted open access embargo lengths in humanities and social science from 24 to 12 months. It finds that 바카라사이트 typical ¡°half-life¡± of humanities and social science articles ¨C 바카라사이트 period in which 바카라사이트y accrue half of 바카라사이트ir eventual total number of readers ¨C is 40 to 50 months. It notes that ano바카라사이트r recent study recorded a similar half-life for physical sciences articles, reducing to between 24 and 36 months for biomedicine.

¡°Although embargo periods do not map on to usage half-lives very closely, 바카라사이트re is little need to be preoccupied by reducing embargo periods to 12 and even six months [for science],¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com