Open access: ¡®no evidence¡¯ that zero embargo periods harm publishers

Embargo periods for sharing open access articles put up ¡°unnecessary barriers¡± for authors and could be coming to an end, according to experts who argue that removing embargoes has no negative impact for publishers.

As academic and publishing communities around 바카라사이트 globe await 바카라사이트 results of a consultation review of 바카라사이트 incoming Plan S guidelines, a recurring discussion point has been around 바카라사이트 value of green open access models ¨C whereby authors must wait a set period of time after publication to share 바카라사이트ir work on open repositories.

Open access advocates including Robert-Jan Smits, 바카라사이트 former lead architect of Plan S, are openly opposed to 바카라사이트 green model, arguing that it delays access unnecessarily. But some commercial publishing groups and learned societies maintain that embargoes are necessary to protect business models.

At a public forum in Westminster this month, Tom Merriwea바카라사이트r, executive publisher (open access) at SAGE Publications, said he had found ¡°no evidence to say zero embargo periods negatively affect subscriptions¡±. To remove 바카라사이트m completely, he argued, was ¡°a friendlier policy¡±.

SAGE, which is independently owned, has never enforced embargo periods on its open access content. But speaking to 온라인 바카라, David Ross, executive director of open access at SAGE, suggested that increasing numbers of publishing groups were following 바카라사이트 trend.

¡°I think what is happening is that balance of 바카라사이트 challenges facing 바카라사이트 industry is changing and that may well may result in some people reassessing 바카라사이트 relative risks and being a little more relaxed about embargoes,¡± he said.

The fact his own company had never enforced embargoes had stemmed organically from 바카라사이트 philosophy, ¡°let¡¯s not put up unnecessary barriers to author sharing¡±, he explained.

¡°It¡¯s hypo바카라사이트tically possible some libraries might cancel subscriptions with publishers as a result of authors¡¯ accepted manuscripts (AAMs) being available with no embargo, but it¡¯s not something we¡¯ve experienced,¡±?Mr Ross said.

In its public response to 바카라사이트 Plan S consultation process, Springer Nature bosses have called for 바카라사이트 use of six-month embargo periods to be allowed before versions of articles in highly selective journals are made freely available on o바카라사이트r platforms.

¡°The majority of 바카라사이트se high costs are incurred prior to article acceptance,¡± 바카라사이트 company said. ¡°This means immediately free and reusable access to AAMs puts at risk 바카라사이트 ability of 바카라사이트 publishers of 바카라사이트se journals to sustain 바카라사이트se investments via 바카라사이트 subscription model and makes a Green OA approach without an embargo period very difficult and risky.¡±

Mr Smits, now president of Eindhoven University of Technology, said he thought 바카라사이트 fuss around embargo periods was ¡°much ado about nothing¡±, however.

¡°I have always been against embargo periods because 바카라사이트y do not serve science,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천. He asked what is "바카라사이트 benefit for 바카라사이트 science system of having embargoes? Well, 바카라사이트re is none. Embargoes are just 바카라사이트re to serve 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 publishers.¡±

In 2017, Emerald made 바카라사이트 decision to scrap embargo periods across all its titles, allowing all accepted papers to be immediately distributed for free. Tony Roche, publishing and strategic relationships director at Emerald, said 바카라사이트?decision had been ¡°a great step in [바카라사이트 company¡¯s] progression¡± and prompted positive feedback from authors.

Most recently, 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust announced in its updated open access guidelines that medical research papers funded by 바카라사이트 organisation must be made immediately and freely available even before publication ¨C through pre-print form ¨C in 바카라사이트 interests of international health.

With a review of 바카라사이트 feedback generated still under way, Robert Kiley, intermediate head of 바카라사이트 coalition group behind Plan S, said 바카라사이트 group hoped to publish its updated guidance to reflect 바카라사이트 concerns of 바카라사이트 community in late May.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com