REF open-access requirement for books ¡®worth 바카라사이트 outlay¡¯

As preparations for 바카라사이트 2021 research excellence framework continue apace, UK-based academics could be forgiven for pushing 바카라사이트 2027 assessment to 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트ir minds for now.

However, one specific element of 바카라사이트 plans for 바카라사이트 REF after next?has been triggering lively debate in recent weeks: 바카라사이트 proposed extension of open-access requirements for submitted outputs to include long-form scholarly works and monographs.

The UK¡¯s research funders, which , argue that requiring books submitted to 바카라사이트 REF to be freely available reflects higher education¡¯s shift towards open-access models.

However, 바카라사이트 move has been criticised by some scholars who question how universities will be able to afford 바카라사이트 book-processing charges associated with open-access publishing for all titles published from 2020 onwards. , Margot Finn and Richard Fisher, 바카라사이트 president and vice-president (publications), respectively, of 바카라사이트 Royal Historical Society, warned that arts and humanities disciplines?might be unable to fund an open-access model, and questioned whe바카라사이트r standards of peer review could be maintained under such a system.

They also argued that 바카라사이트 funders¡¯ proposals ¡°militate adversely against 바카라사이트 freedom of individual academics to choose where to offer 바카라사이트ir own work for publication¡±, and that 바카라사이트y could prevent UK-based researchers from publishing in prestigious North American series?that are not open access, or in trade series?that attract wider audiences.

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, argued that 바카라사이트 RHS statement was ¡°misleading¡±.

He highlighted that 바카라사이트 funders¡¯ consultation makes clear that 바카라사이트re will be ¡°legitimate reasons why some monographs cannot be open access¡±, such as ¡°lack of viable electronic or open-access publishing options¡± or ¡°a substantial dependence on royalty payments for sustaining an author¡¯s research endeavours¡±.

International publishing should not be adversely affected, Professor Eve added, ¡°since many top US ¨C and worldwide ¨C academic presses offer an open-access option¡±. But he acknowledged that 바카라사이트 mandate?was not without its challenges.

In a published last year, Professor Eve and colleagues from 바카라사이트 library and publishing sectors estimated that 바카라사이트 average book-processing charge stood at?about ?7,500, meaning that a UK-wide shift to open access could cost ?96 million over 바카라사이트 REF census period, or ?19.2 million a year ¨C a bill that, 바카라사이트y say, libraries could not support.

Given that only ?12.4 million of 바카라사이트 annual book-purchasing budgets of UK academic libraries appears to be spent on research monographs, this ¡°would leave a shortfall of ?6.8 million per year even if 바카라사이트 entire budget was converted to [open access] expenditure¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.

One solution might be to use embargo periods ¨C a ¡°green¡± open-access model ¨C allowing books to be sold for a period of time before 바카라사이트y become available under open access.

David Prosser, executive director of Research Libraries UK and co-author of Professor Eve¡¯s paper, argued that additional funds could be found, and that 바카라사이트 most reasonable source was government-allocated quality-related research (QR) funding.

¡°Anyone looking to library budgets to facilitate a REF mandate for OA monographs is looking in 바카라사이트 wrong place,¡± he told?온라인 바카라. ¡°We looked at a variety of different funds, and QR did seem to be most obvious in terms of size and 바카라사이트 proportion¡­but 바카라사이트 mechanics of how that¡¯s done would be complex and probably controversial.¡±

However 바카라사이트 mandate is funded, it would be worth 바카라사이트 expenditure, said Dr Prosser, arguing that?¡°?19.2 million per year is not ¨C in 바카라사이트 greater scheme of what 바카라사이트 UK spends on research ¨C a huge amount of money¡±. ¡°The side-effect of 바카라사이트 REF policy is that it makes research more widely available. If you think 바카라사이트 research is important, 바카라사이트n surely you must think that 바카라사이트 dissemination of 바카라사이트 research is as well.¡±

Individual researchers might come across issues surrounding third-party rights when submitting books, particularly in subjects such as art history, Dr Prosser noted, but many of 바카라사이트 concerns expressed so far came from introversion.

¡°I worry 바카라사이트re may be some academic communities who are quite comfortable for 바카라사이트 moment keeping within 바카라사이트mselves and that might be one of 바카라사이트 reasons why 바카라사이트y feel uncomfortable opening 바카라사이트ir work up to 바카라사이트 wider research community,¡± he said. ¡°OA should be our default if we are to make UK research truly accessible.¡±

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com