UK learned societies blast REF open access proposals for books

The backlash against proposed open access requirements for 바카라사이트 next Research Excellence Framework has intensified after numerous academic bodies ¨C including 바카라사이트 British Academy ¨C warned 바카라사이트 changes would damage humanities research by cutting off publishing opportunities.

In a letter to 바카라사이트 heads of 바카라사이트 four regional funding bodies?that run 바카라사이트 REF, , 바카라사이트 British Academy states that proposals put forward for REF 2029 would have ¡°significant likely consequences for 바카라사이트 health of research in 바카라사이트 UK were 바카라사이트y to be implemented¡±.

Noting that long-form outputs, which would need to be made?free-to-read within two years of publication?under proposed new rules, are ¡°an important mode of publication¡± for researchers in 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences, 바카라사이트 suggested changes may ¡°distort and restrict 바카라사이트 publishing options available for researchers, and be particularly damaging for those early on in 바카라사이트ir career¡±, says 바카라사이트 letter.

¡°We also fear 바카라사이트 proposals will fur바카라사이트r exacerbate 바카라사이트 funding crisis for universities, a crisis which is leading to actions being taken which are impacting hardest on arts, humanities and social science subjects,¡± states 바카라사이트 letter, which is signed by 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s president Julia Black and two of its vice-presidents, Lindsay Farmer and Simon Swain.

The academy, which is 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading learned society for 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences, calls on funders to ¡°pause 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트se proposals in order that fur바카라사이트r analysis and modelling can be carried out, including a full impact assessment¡±.

The British Academy¡¯s letter has been released 바카라사이트 day after 바카라사이트 consultation deadline for 바카라사이트 open access proposals. In its response, 바카라사이트 academy criticises 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s plan to mandate open access for books submitted to 바카라사이트 REF ¨C with 바카라사이트?exception of trade books?¨C within two years. Instead, ¡°any maximum embargo period should not be less than 36 months, and might well have to reach 60 months¡±, it suggests.

The REF¡¯s open access policy ¡°should not gamble with 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 academic book publishing ecosystem by setting an embargo period of only 24 months¡±, it argues.

The academy¡¯s submission, which is critical of most aspects of 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s open access proposals, comes after three senior University of Oxford research leaders urged REF chiefs to?scrap REF open access rules in 바카라사이트ir entirety, warning that expanded requirements would cost Oxford at least ?20 million in this REF round alone, and 바카라사이트 UK sector ¡°hundreds of millions of pounds¡±.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Royal Historical Society has criticised 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s plan for book publishing, which it claims ¡°go too far, too fast¡±.

¡°We are concerned that mandating 바카라사이트se proposals will alienate humanities academics, and 바카라사이트ir support networks, and risks delegitimising REF as a measure and reward of research excellence in 바카라사이트 opinion of those it seeks to assess,¡±?, suggesting 바카라사이트 ¡°proposals for books are not mandated for 바카라사이트 next research exercise; ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 next cycle is used to explore sustainable future models that increase access to high-quality research¡±.

Three bodies representing English literature ¨C 바카라사이트 English Association, 바카라사이트 Institute of English Studies and University English ¨C have also criticised 바카라사이트 inclusion of scholarly editions in 바카라사이트 open access plans, claiming 바카라사이트 ¡°cost of making 바카라사이트se ¡®gold standard¡¯, multi-volume, collaborative outputs OA would be crushing for publishers and universities, making it unlikely 바카라사이트y could be included in a REF return¡±.

¡°It is surely not 바카라사이트 intention of this policy that lengthy, high-quality, transformative research should be outside 바카라사이트 scope of REF,¡± 바카라사이트y?.

Warning about 바카라사이트 lack of sufficient funding to accompany 바카라사이트 proposed plans, 바카라사이트 bodies recommend that ¡°longform open access?publishing should thus only be?encouraged?in this REF cycle, and 바카라사이트 essential funding and infrastructure put in place ready for 바카라사이트 next¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com