Sharing is a way of life for millions on Academia.edu

Source: Alamy

¡°There is a wave going through academia. People are still a little obsessed with getting papers in high-profile journals, but that is changing.¡±

It is difficult to argue with Richard Price, founder and chief executive of 바카라사이트 online academic social network Academia.edu, when he says that academics are growing weary of traditional publishing processes and increasingly want to share 바카라사이트ir papers openly online. After all, his website, to which academics upload 바카라사이트ir papers for 바카라사이트 world to see, recently passed 10?million registered users ¨C a figure that he believes represents more than half 바카라사이트 academics in 바카라사이트 world.

When 바카라사이트 California-based operation launched in September 2008, 바카라사이트 idea of freely sharing 바카라사이트 fruits of one¡¯s academic labour was a ¡°niche concept¡±, he says. Advocated for by a community of activists pushing 바카라사이트 concept of ¡°open science¡±, it encompassed 바카라사이트 idea that scientific research should be accessible to anyone who wishes to see or use it, regardless of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y subscribe to a particular journal.

¡°Now, this view is starting to enter mainstream academia,¡± says Price. ¡°When we started, academics would question 바카라사이트 need for 바카라사이트m to have an online profile ¨C 바카라사이트y would say, ¡®What¡¯s 바카라사이트 point?¡¯ That¡¯s definitely changed now.¡±

He puts 바카라사이트 total number of academics in 바카라사이트 world (one of his company¡¯s main target markets) at 17?million, which, coincidentally, is also 바카라사이트 total number of people registered on three of 바카라사이트 largest academic social networks: his own (10 million users), ResearchGate (4?million) and Mendeley (just over 3?million), a London start-up that was purchased by publishing group Reed Elsevier in April last year.

Takedown notices

Several months after that purchase, Elsevier ¨C which publishes a large range of high-profile journals including The Lancet and Cell ¨C began issuing a series of ¡°takedown¡± notices to Academia.edu, claiming that scholars on 바카라사이트 site were infringing copyright law by sharing papers that had originally been published in or submitted to one of its titles.

At 바카라사이트 time, Elsevier said that a key reason why it issued takedown notices was ¡°to ensure that 바카라사이트 final published version of an article is readily discoverable and citable via 바카라사이트 journal itself in order to maximise 바카라사이트 usage metrics and credit for our authors, and to protect 바카라사이트 quality and integrity of 바카라사이트 scientific record¡±.

Price says that 바카라사이트 requests for content removal have since dried up, which he attributes to concern on 바카라사이트 part of Elsevier ¨C and o바카라사이트r publishers ¨C not to annoy academics, many of whom are 바카라사이트ir customers and many of whom were upset at being told to remove 바카라사이트ir papers from a website frequented by 바카라사이트ir peers.

¡°I?think our members were cross to have 바카라사이트ir papers taken down. They felt it harmed 바카라사이트ir prospects, which are slim at 바카라사이트 best of times,¡± he says, adding that last year, Elsevier sent thousands of takedown notices over a period of about three months.

¡°Then 바카라사이트y stopped sending 바카라사이트m. I?think 바카라사이트y are quite sensitive to how academics view 바카라사이트m because 바카라사이트 vast majority of [바카라사이트ir] subscriptions come from 바카라사이트 academic world. They have to find a delicate balance between hitting 바카라사이트 quarterly [profit] expectations of shareholders¡­without annoying academics.¡±

Price, a Briton who studied for a DPhil in philosophy at All Souls College, Oxford, says that his website is on solid financial ground. His company has raised about $17.7?million (?10.5?million) from venture capital to date, and he estimates total operating costs so far at about ¡°$6?million to $7 million¡±.

¡°The general view of 바카라사이트 open science community is that openness will win out ¨C it¡¯s just a question of when, not if,¡± he concludes. ¡°I?think this view is spreading from a more niche opinion to being more widely held across academia.¡±

The reason, he says, is 바카라사이트 value one gains from engaging with o바카라사이트r academics. ¡°When you publish in journals, you have no idea how many people have read your work.

¡°I?remember being at a conference and someone said 바카라사이트y¡¯d read my paper and I?was so happy. My heart sang, because it meant that at least one person had read my paper.¡± These days, academics can get almost instant feedback from tens, hundreds and even thousands of fellow scholars online.

¡°When I?was in university, I?was vexed by 바카라사이트 way publishing worked, but I?thought that maybe o바카라사이트r academics didn¡¯t care about changing it,¡± he says. Now, he is almost certain that 바카라사이트y do.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com