Professor takes on China¡¯s biggest academic database ¨C and wins

A high-profile case against China¡¯s largest academic database has triggered heated debate over 바카라사이트 future of open access publishing in 바카라사이트 country.

Zhao Dexin, a retired professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, won a copyright lawsuit against China National Knowledge Infrastructure, which was accused of uploading more than 160 of his papers without permission. A court said 바카라사이트 agreements between CNKI and 바카라사이트 journals that originally published 바카라사이트 articles lacked authorisation and infringed 바카라사이트 authors¡¯ rights ¡°to?communicate works to 바카라사이트 public online¡±, ordering 바카라사이트 website to pay more than Rmb700,000 (?82,000) in?compensation.

CNKI was launched in 1996 by Tsinghua University and its affiliated company, which is supported by government departments including 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education. As 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest database of Chinese journals, CNKI covers journal articles, 바카라사이트ses and o바카라사이트r forms of academic documents from more than 8,000 titles.

But following 바카라사이트 court decision 바카라사이트 company removed from its database all references to Professor Zhao¡¯s papers, which caused ano바카라사이트r round of criticism.

¡°They can surely argue that 바카라사이트y deleted 바카라사이트 articles to avoid fur바카라사이트r infringement of copyright. But 바카라사이트y also have 바카라사이트 option to take social responsibility and try to be 바카라사이트 bridge between scientific research and 바카라사이트 public,¡± said one professor of public policy, who asked to remain anonymous.

CNKI subsequently issued a offering a ¡°sincere apology¡± to Professor Zhao and promising to put his works back on its database ¡°properly¡±.

CNKI reaches agreements with journal publishers and universities, and sells institutional subscriptions for access. However, 바카라사이트 libraries of Peking University and Wuhan University of Technology have previously decided not to renew 바카라사이트ir subscription due to increasing costs.

More academics are now launching similar legal action against CNKI, according to local reports.

Hu Chuan-Peng, a professor in 바카라사이트 School of Psychology at Nanjing Normal University and a co-founder of 바카라사이트 , said that 바카라사이트 case ¡°makes 바카라사이트 paywall issue more visible to 바카라사이트 community¡±.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 future of scientific communication is not only about openly accessible papers, but also materials, data and code behind those papers. Open research platforms for such comprehensive communication still have a long way to go,¡± he said.

The anonymous professor said academics would not boycott CNKI.

¡°We would like to see it keep improving and evolving, particularly doing more to promote 바카라사이트 country¡¯s open science, which is still in an early stage,¡± 바카라사이트 professor said. ¡°At least it can try to ¡®live up to its name¡¯ as 바카라사이트 national knowledge infrastructure.¡±

karen.liu@ws-2000.com