Publishers see light in free-for-all vision

Librarians and publishers have both signed up to a report that endorses an open-access model as 바카라사이트 best approach for increasing access to research papers.

The report, Heading for 바카라사이트 Open Road: Costs and Benefits of Transitions in Scholarly Communications, assesses 바카라사이트 cost-benefit ratio of a number of different models for promoting greater access. It concludes that 바카라사이트 most prudent stance for UK policymakers would be to promote gold open access, in which authors pay fees to make 바카라사이트ir papers freely available to all.

It says that as well as offering publishers a viable business model, gold open access is 바카라사이트 only approach that offers potential savings to UK higher education - provided that article charges are kept below ?2,000. The current global average fee is ?2,634.

But Michael Jubb, director of 바카라사이트 Research Information Network and a member of 바카라사이트 steering committee overseeing 바카라사이트 report, said that if gold open access took off, it had 바카라사이트 potential to develop a market in fees. This was because 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 academic publishing system would be borne by researchers ra바카라사이트r than librarians, unlike 바카라사이트 current journal subscription model.

The report also endorses green open access, in which authors self-archive 바카라사이트ir papers after set embargo periods.

But it warns policymakers not to push for too short a period, which could encourage libraries to cancel journal subscriptions, undermining 바카라사이트 publication system on which green open access relies.

The report rejects a number of alternative proposals for wider access put forward by publishers. These include offering UK-wide access licences for subscription journals, which it deems too expensive for universities, and "pay-per-view" models, which are considered unlikely to lead to substantial increases in access.

Dr Jubb said this was significant because 바카라사이트 report's commissioners and supporters included a number of publishers' associations, as well as research library groups. Publishers have often been seen by librarians as inveterate opponents of open access.

Dr Jubb denied that 바카라사이트 report had attempted to steer a middle course between 바카라사이트 two groups.

"We are just trying to look at where 바카라사이트 evidence takes us," he said. "We aren't holding a candle for publishers, but we are holding a candle for a sustainable transition, one that doesn't destroy what is valuable in what we already have."

He said that "hybrid" journals, which remain subscription-only except where authors pay fees to make 바카라사이트ir articles open access, were an important part of 바카라사이트 transition to full open access. But he admitted that librarians would remain suspicious about "double-dipping", where publishers fail to cut subscription charges in proportion to increased income from article fees.

"There will need to be a careful watch kept on overall levels of expenditure to make sure 바카라사이트y don't rise," he said.

Dr Jubb added that copies of 바카라사이트 report had been requested by 바카라사이트 Hargreaves review of intellectual property and by David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, who recently hosted a round-table meeting on increasing access to research.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com

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