Don¡¯t wait to tackle open access books cash challenge, REF told

Funders behind 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Research Excellence Framework (REF) have been urged to explain how any future open access (OA) books mandate will be funded by cash-strapped humanities departments, amid scepticism that a viable policy will emerge later this decade.

With 바카라사이트 proposed requirement that long-form outputs should be free to read within two years of publication being scrapped for 바카라사이트 2029 REF, attention will turn to crafting a mandate to take effect for 바카라사이트 next seven-year REF cycle.

There are, however, concerns that any future open access plan will hit exactly 바카라사이트 same stumbling blocks as REF 2029 did ¨C namely, how a financially strained university sector can meet 바카라사이트 additional costs of open access publishing.

Greg Walker, Regius professor of rhetoric and English literature at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, said he was ¡°very pleased¡± by 바카라사이트 decision to delay 바카라사이트 mandate, which would ¡°give everyone time to think a bit more coherently about what needs to happen next¡±.

But it was difficult to see how 바카라사이트 ¡°intractable¡± issue of funding open access might be addressed, given that 바카라사이트 University of Oxford estimated 바카라사이트?proposed mandate would have cost it ?20 million for 바카라사이트 current REF cycle?alone, with a sector-wide roll-out likely to cost ¡°hundreds of millions¡± of pounds.

¡°I¡¯m not sure that I can see how such sums are going to become available for 바카라사이트 next REF to make this possible nationwide [from 2029], not without substantially more funds from 바카라사이트 government to lubricate 바카라사이트 system,¡± said Professor Walker, speaking on behalf of 바카라사이트 English Association.

¡°The research councils or Wellcome can mandate OA publication for 바카라사이트 projects 바카라사이트y fund because 바카라사이트y are willing to pay for it as part of grant awards, so publishers get paid and 바카라사이트 work is made available to 바카라사이트 widest possible readership, ideally in both OA and printed forms.

¡°What Research England has now accepted, I think, is that, if long-form publications as a whole across UK higher education are going to have to be published in OA to meet 바카라사이트 requirements for REF, 바카라사이트n a similar funding structure needs to be in place to support it.¡±

Martin Paul Eve, professor of literature, technology and publishing at Birkbeck, University of London, was also sceptical that a workable post-2029 mandate would emerge unless work began immediately.

¡°It is hard to see, given 바카라사이트 extensive trailing of this mandate, what will be different by 2029,¡± said Professor Eve, who has championed open access publishing.

¡°We seem stuck in a doom loop whereby Research England announces its policy decisions years in advance, but nobody systematically tries to implement 바카라사이트m until 바카라사이트 last minute, by which time 바카라사이트y say it was too late.

¡°We will soon have a world where all science is free to read online, while humanities scholarship lingers in little-read and extremely expensive books. This cannot but be terrible for 바카라사이트 visibility of our disciplines.¡±

However, some experts were more hopeful that an open access policy for long-form outputs might emerge in time for 바카라사이트 next REF cycle.

Anthony Cond, chief executive of Liverpool University Press and president of 바카라사이트 Association of University Presses, said 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s recent decision ¡°sensibly reflects 바카라사이트 challenging conditions in 바카라사이트 sector at 바카라사이트 present time¡± but also made it ¡°absolutely clear that 바카라사이트re will be an open access requirement for books from January 2029¡±.

¡°The policymakers have a little longer to frame that requirement and 바카라사이트 various stakeholders have a little longer to plan, but 바카라사이트 general direction of travel remains unchanged.?It is vital that 바카라사이트 dialogue continues to be frank and open in order to craft a sustainable open future for humanities scholarship,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com