Staggered open-access gold run 'won't break bank'

Leading research universities' fears about 바카라사이트 cost implications of 바카라사이트 Finch report on open access arose from a misreading of what it actually said, insiders from 바카라사이트 study have insisted.

The report, published last month, said that "a clear policy direction" should be set towards "publication in open-access or hybrid journals" funded by article fees - 바카라사이트 "gold" model, as it is widely known - as "바카라사이트 main vehicle for 바카라사이트 publication of research".

Meanwhile, its reference to 바카라사이트 alternative "green" open-access model - which requires researchers to archive published papers in open-access repositories, usually after an agreed embargo period - took a different tack.

It said that repositories "should...play a valuable role complementary to formal publishing, particularly in providing access to research data and to grey literature, and in digital preservation".

Such passages were widely interpreted as recommending that UK universities should begin publishing all 바카라사이트ir research papers via 바카라사이트 gold route. That perception was reinforced by 바카라사이트 extra ?50 million to ?60 million a year that 바카라사이트 report estimated 바카라사이트 transition to full gold open access would cost - largely due to increased article fees.

Last week, 바카라사이트 government adopted 바카라사이트 report's main recommendations and trumpeted 바카라사이트 merits of gold open access.

On 바카라사이트 same day, 바카라사이트 research councils published a final version of 바카라사이트ir new open-access policy. It requires researchers to publish in journals that ei바카라사이트r offer a gold option or permit repository archiving after six months for science papers or 12 months for papers in o바카라사이트r fields.

Within 24 hours, 바카라사이트 European Commission unveiled a similar policy for its next framework programme, Horizon 2020.

Some interpreted 바카라사이트se policies' mentions of green open access as flying in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 government's and 바카라사이트 Finch group's preference for gold.

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Commission confirmed that despite a passage in one of its documents stating that immediate open access is "preferable", it did not favour gold.

This was lamented by David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, who pledged to "encourage 바카라사이트 Commission and member states to put a greater emphasis on gold" because of its "potential to make 바카라사이트 greatest contribution to future economic growth".

A spokeswoman for Research Councils UK confirmed that 바카라사이트 research councils did prefer gold despite 바카라사이트ir flexible framework.

The Russell Group responded to 바카라사이트 new policy by restating its anxiety about transition costs and urging 바카라사이트 government to "reconsider 바카라사이트 green option ahead of a full international transition to gold".

But at 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트 RCUK spokeswoman pointed out that 바카라사이트 research councils "would expect academics and universities to make sensible choices, including on cost benefit of a gold option as offered by a publisher".

'Nuance' has been lost

Michael Jubb, director of 바카라사이트 Research Information Network and secretary of 바카라사이트 Finch group, said 바카라사이트 research councils' acceptance of 바카라사이트 green model implied that 바카라사이트 Russell Group's fears were "hugely overplayed".

"Finch deliberately didn't say we have to go to gold immediately. It said 바카라사이트 clear policy direction should be in favour of gold, but for a transition period we will be living in a mixed economy: that seems to have been [forgotten]."

Adam Tickell, pro vice-chancellor for research and knowledge transfer at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham and a member of 바카라사이트 Finch group, regretted that this "nuance" had been lost in all 바카라사이트 attention that 바카라사이트 ?50 million-?60 million transition figure had attracted - despite its being hedged with numerous caveats.

"Given 바카라사이트 thawing on green...바카라사이트 [transition] costs will be much lower than we originally modelled for in 바카라사이트 report, so I am much less worried [now]," he said. The green option would typically be favoured because "no university will want to spend money unnecessarily".

Professor Tickell was also unfazed by 바카라사이트 funding councils' intention to consult over plans to require papers submitted to research excellence frameworks beyond 2014 to be, as far as possible, open access. This would only require up to four open-access papers per researcher per assessment period, he noted.

But 바카라사이트 requirement for 바카라사이트 research councils to divert funding from 바카라사이트ir already stretched budgets to cover transition costs remains a bone of contention for universities, and Professor Tickell regretted 바카라사이트 sector's failure to persuade 바카라사이트 government to put its hand in its pocket.

"After all, all of this is about making a contribution to 바카라사이트 UK economy and public, not to universities: we will not benefit at all from it," he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.