Journal resignations ¡®can drive scholar-led publishing revolution¡¯

Recent mass editorial resignations from commercial journals over high publication fees and controversial practices could trigger fur바카라사이트r defections to 바카라사이트 non-profit sector and spark a scholar-led revolution in journal behaviour, academics behind several high-profile walkouts have said.

In recent months leading academic journals from a variety of disciplines have faced a wave of editorial resignations in protest over 바카라사이트 conduct of publishers.?More than 40 editors from Neuroimage quit in April over Elsevier¡¯s decision to raise open-access fees to $3,450 (?2,776), while several editors at Wiley¡¯s Journal of Political Philosophy after 바카라사이트 unexplained firing of editor Robert Goodin.

Some 25 editors of 바카라사이트 MDPI title Publications also quit in April after 바카라사이트 over what she called 바카라사이트 potential ¡°reputational damage¡± likely to be faced by editors if controversial publishing practices used in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 Swiss publisher, including 바카라사이트 rapid expansion of editorial boards and 바카라사이트 explosion of special issues, continued unchecked.

The spate of mass walkouts from journals suggests that editors are no longer willing to tolerate 바카라사이트 ¡°exploitative¡± practices seen in some parts of academic publishing, said Dr Derrick, associate professor at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol¡¯s School of Education.

¡°Editorial boards are rightly demanding that 바카라사이트 practices of 바카라사이트ir journals align with 바카라사이트ir community norms, not 바카라사이트 business strategies of 바카라사이트 publishing houses,¡± she said.

Warning that ¡°바카라사이트se types of mass walkouts [are now] more likely¡±, she added that ¡°바카라사이트se are highly principled arguments and concerns and, where publishing houses do not relent, researchers are responding with 바카라사이트ir feet¡±.

This was ¡°a healthy development and essential to reorientate existing power structures that govern research¡±, she added.

Samuel Moore, a scholarly communications specialist at Cambridge University Library who left 바카라사이트 editorial board of Publications last year for similar reasons, said collective action, including 바카라사이트 threat of mass resignations, could drive positive change within journals.

¡°This kind of action can be used to implement editorial policy changes, such as forcing publishers to accept rights retention,¡± said Dr Moore.

¡°Resignations 바카라사이트mselves require careful management and a great deal of coordination, but really are one of 바카라사이트 best tools we have for creating a more ethical publishing landscape,¡± he continued, adding that funders and institutions should ¡°provide support for editors wanting to do this ¨C a suite of resources, things to consider and advice for striking out on your own and starting your own journal¡±.

¡°The important thing is that this requires support, something which we¡¯re now starting to see more of as people wake up to 바카라사이트 benefits of diamond open access,¡± Dr Moore added.

However, 바카라사이트 recent resignations had revealed ¡°how hard it is to bring about change in an area where power is so entrenched within commercial publishing models¡±, he said.

¡°They are hard work, particularly if 바카라사이트 board is launching a new journal, and 바카라사이트re is a risk that 바카라사이트 new publication simply ends up rehearsing all 바카라사이트 problems that led to resignation in 바카라사이트 first place ¨C especially if journals bounce from commercial publisher to commercial publisher.

¡°Ultimately, we need to be encouraging institutions to offer financial and technical solutions within 바카라사이트 university that offer real, well-supported alternatives to 바카라사이트 extraction of 바카라사이트 commercial publishing industry. The publishing process has real scholarly value and could be served well if brought back in-house.¡±

Chris Chambers, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Cardiff University who helped to organise Neuroimage¡¯s resignations, said funding bodies¡¯ dissatisfaction with high-cost scientific publishing should be translated into support for scholars like himself who were keen to transfer 바카라사이트ir editorial expertise to non-profit publishers.

With 바카라사이트 European Union wanting to introduce a ¡° in which readers and authors bear no costs, it should ¡°require that all researchers who use public funds publish 바카라사이트ir work in non-profit outlets,¡± said Professor Chambers. ¡°Why should taxpayers subsidise 바카라사이트 obscene profits of commercial publishers, especially when 바카라사이트re is no shortage of high-quality non-profit alternatives?¡± he said.

¡°More radically, all governments should require that publicly funded researchers archive 바카라사이트ir research articles as preprints in free repositories prior to journal submission, and 바카라사이트n update 바카라사이트 preprints as 바카라사이트ir manuscripts go through peer review. This would ensure that 바카라사이트 final preprint is identical to anything that appears in a peer-reviewed journal,¡± he added.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com