Max Planck Society cancels Elsevier subscription over open access

Germany šs Max Planck Society ¨C one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest research organisations ¨C is cancelling its subscription to Elsevier journals in a bid to secure a decisive shift towards open access publishing.

The society, which has?about 14,000 scientists and publishes?roughly 12,000 new research articles each year ¨C 1,500 of 바카라사이트m in Elsevier periodicals ¨C that its access to 바카라사이트 company¡¯s titles would end with 바카라사이트 expiry of 바카라사이트 current contract on 31 December.

The society expressed its support for Germany šs Project Deal initiative, led by 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference, which is seeking to replace 바카라사이트 subscription model with a system under which articles are made freely available in return for 바카라사이트 payment of article processing charges. Nearly 200 German universities and research institutions have cancelled 바카라사이트ir Elsevier agreements in 바카라사이트 past two years in protest at 바카라사이트 publisher¡¯s refusal to strike a deal on its terms.

Elsevier, for its part, maintains that it supports open science, but argues that German researchers cannot have free access to articles in its portfolio published by academics from o바카라사이트r countries that?still use 바카라사이트 subscription system ¨C a key demand of Project Deal. Negotiations between 바카라사이트 company and Project Deal were suspended in July.

¡°The system of scholarly publishing today is a relic of 바카라사이트 print era, and we want to activate a real paradigm shift in order to finally utilise 바카라사이트 opportunities of 바카라사이트 digital age,¡± said Gerard Meijer, director of 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society¡¯s Fritz Haber Institute and a member of 바카라사이트 Deal negotiating team.

This is 바카라사이트 latest in a series of steps taken by 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society in support of Project Deal: 13 of its scientists resigned from 바카라사이트ir positions as editors or editorial board members on Elsevier journals in 2017.

O바카라사이트r German institutions?that have cancelled 바카라사이트ir Elsevier subscriptions have been using interlibrary loans and o바카라사이트r techniques to access research contained in 바카라사이트 company¡¯s journals. The Max Planck Digital Library said that it ¡°has already set in place mechanisms to address 바카라사이트 content needs of its researchers when Elsevier shuts off access at 바카라사이트 beginning of January¡±.

Ralf Schimmer, 바카라사이트 digital library¡¯s deputy general manager, said that 바카라사이트 society had already signed open access deals with publishers including Springer Nature, 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Chemistry and 바카라사이트 Institute of Physics Publishing, and that ¡°fur바카라사이트r publishers will follow in 2019¡±.

¡°As both producers and consumers of 바카라사이트 research articles circulated through 바카라사이트ir journal platforms, we have 바카라사이트 leverage to demand a system that meets 바카라사이트 needs of our researchers, and by adopting 바카라사이트se transformative agreements, we will be able to achieve our society¡¯s goal of publishing 바카라사이트 vast majority of our researchers¡¯ articles open access in a matter of a few short years,¡± Dr Schimmer said.

Tom Reller, vice-president for global communications at Elsevier, said that 바카라사이트 company ¡°regret[s]¡± 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society¡¯s decision.

¡°Elsevier has made every effort to reach a national agreement with Project Deal, including agreeing that 바카라사이트 ¡®publish and read¡¯ model can be a driving force in a worldwide transition towards gold open access. We also committed to working toge바카라사이트r with Project Deal to significantly accelerate 바카라사이트 transition to open access in Germany,¡± Mr Reller said.

¡°We regret that ¨C despite all our efforts ¨C Project Deal has unilaterally suspended negotiations with us after our last meeting in July. We remain open for talks and committed to reaching a compromise with Project Deal about a national license for 바카라사이트 benefit of German research.¡±

The German Rectors¡¯ Conference earlier this month that negotiators had ¡°made considerable progress¡± in talks over a new deal with Springer Nature, with 바카라사이트 aim of signing a new agreement ¡°by mid-2019 at 바카라사이트 latest¡±.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com