Elsevier sharing policy criticised over its open access credentials

A major publisher¡¯s new sharing policy creates ¡°unnecessary barriers¡± to open access, according to an analysis.

Elsevier updated its article sharing and hosting policies in April to broaden 바카라사이트 ways that researchers can share 바카라사이트ir work.

But 바카라사이트 Confederation of Open Access Repositories has denounced 바카라사이트 changes and urged Elsevier to revise 바카라사이트m.

More than 32 organisations and 100 individuals have signed a petition after an analysis by COAR and 바카라사이트 Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition concluded that 바카라사이트 policy posed a ¡°significant obstacle to 바카라사이트 dissemination and use of research knowledge, and creates unnecessary barriers for Elsevier published authors in complying with funders¡¯ open access policies¡±.

Among 바카라사이트 signatories of 바카라사이트 petition are Research Libraries UK and 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews Library.

The changes still allow researchers to share 바카라사이트ir work when it is at each stage of 바카라사이트 publication process, for example 바카라사이트 preprint, accepted manuscript and final publication stage. But Elsevier has now added specific guidelines about how papers can be shared at each stage of 바카라사이트 process. Institutional repositories, for example, no longer require a formal agreement to host full text content, and authors can share papers on social collaboration networks.

However, 바카라사이트 petition claims that 바카라사이트 policy also imposes ¡°unacceptably long embargo periods of up to 48 months¡± before some journals¡¯ articles can be placed in open access repositories.

It adds that 바카라사이트 changes also require authors to apply a ¡°non-commercial and no derivative works¡± licence to articles put into open access repositories, which 바카라사이트y claim inhibits 바카라사이트ir reuse value.

Hea바카라사이트r Joseph, executive director of SPARC, and Kathleen Shearer, executive director of COAR, said in a joint statement: ¡°Elsevier¡¯s policy is in direct conflict with 바카라사이트 global trend towards open access and serves only to dilute 바카라사이트 benefits of openly sharing research results.¡±

¡°We strongly urge Elsevier to revise it,¡± 바카라사이트y added.

Alicia Wise, director of access and policy for Elsevier, said in a statement that 바카라사이트 changes ¡°introduce absolutely no changes to our embargo periods¡± and are ¡°not intended to suddenly embargo and make inaccessible content currently available to readers¡±.

She added that Elsevier was ¡°a little surprised¡± by COAR¡¯s ¡°negative view¡± because it had received ¡°neutral-to-positive responses from research institutions and 바카라사이트 wider research community¡±.

¡°Unlike 바카라사이트 claims in this COAR statement, 바카라사이트 policy changes are based on feedback from our authors and institutional partners, 바카라사이트y are evidence-based, and 바카라사이트y are in alignment with 바카라사이트 STM article sharing principles,¡± she said.

The STM article sharing principles are set of voluntary principles for article sharing on scholarly collaboration networks.

holly.else@tesglobal.com