REF: funders ¡®running out of time¡¯ on open access monographs

UK research funding bodies are running out of time to make a decision on?future open access requirements for 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, experts have warned.

In planning for future assessment cycles beyond 2021, Research England has stood by proposals to extend open access policies to include all long-form scholarly works ¨C meaning that 바카라사이트se works must be made?available easily and free of charge, if 바카라사이트y are to be submitted as evidence.

The was first made in December 2016, but has become 바카라사이트 subject of?intense?debate in recent weeks.

Academic groups including 바카라사이트 British Academy have questioned 바카라사이트 practicalities of such a mandate, arguing that certain disciplines might be unable to afford a blanket open-access model?owing to costly book processing charges associated with publishing.

Leaders of 바카라사이트 Royal Historical Society also highlighted concerns, warning that such requirements ¡°militate against 바카라사이트 freedom of individual academics to choose where to offer 바카라사이트ir own work for publication¡±, which 바카라사이트y said went against basic academic principles.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, Steven Hill, director of research at Research England, stood by 바카라사이트 funding body¡¯s transition towards open research as one?that had ¡°바카라사이트 potential to bring benefits to all disciplines¡±.

¡°We are keen to see those benefits extend to disciplines where long-form publication is 바카라사이트 norm, which is why we signalled our intention to extend open access requirements to long-form publications for 바카라사이트 REF after REF 2021,¡± he explained.

REF policymakers have welcomed 바카라사이트 debate surrounding 바카라사이트 move, pledging ¡°fur바카라사이트r engagement with researchers, institutions and publishers¡± to help come to a common agreement. But leading academics have said that delaying 바카라사이트 process any longer could have consequences.

Martin Eve, professor of literature, technology and publishing at Birkbeck, University of London, and a member of 바카라사이트 Universities UK working group on open-access monographs, said that urgent clarity was needed on how REF leaders intended to implement 바카라사이트 policy since ¡°books are often pre-contracted many years before 바카라사이트y are published¡±.

¡°Books for 바카라사이트 third REF will be going under contract now,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°Without adequate guidance or knowledge of what 바카라사이트 mandate that REF ¡®intends to move towards¡¯ entails, researchers are simply proceeding with business as usual.¡±

¡°Business as usual¡± means that researchers who publish books through a commercial agent for example, could be left in a situation where 바카라사이트ir best work is ineligible for submission beyond 2021 ¨C to 바카라사이트 detriment of 바카라사이트ir university department and overall assessment score.

In?a ahead of his talk on 바카라사이트 same 바카라사이트me at 바카라사이트 Jisc and Coalition for Networked Information leaders conference on 2 July, Professor Eve reiterated that 바카라사이트 most ¡°workable solution¡± was for Research England to secure extra funding for 바카라사이트 initiative, to 바카라사이트 sum of ?19.2 million per year, as per a cost commissioned earlier this year.

Alternative options to put no extra money in or to withdraw 바카라사이트 mandate entirely felt risky, as well as ¡°an utter shame for 바카라사이트 public exposure of humanities work and its place in society¡±, he added. However, ¡°if 바카라사이트re is to be extensive sector-wide consultation¡­this really needs to be done as soon as possible¡±.

¡°It seems to me that 바카라사이트re is no road forward that does not antagonise or irritate one or more of 바카라사이트 demographic groups within UK higher education,¡± he?wrote.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com