University of California break with Elsevier tipped to boost ¡®global revolt¡¯

The University of California system¡¯s decision to end its contract with Elsevier has been hailed as a ¡°major boost for 바카라사이트 open access movement¡±, with scholars predicting it will result in a ¡°snowball effect¡± on movement away from 바카라사이트 use of high-cost subscription journals.

The major US public university system announced on 28 February that it was ¡°taking a firm stand¡± by not renewing its nearly $11 million-a-year (?8.3 million) scholarly journal subscription to 바카라사이트 publishing giant, following attempts to negotiate a new deal.

It said that Elsevier was ¡°unwilling¡± to secure ¡°universal open access to UC research while containing 바카라사이트 rapidly escalating costs associated with for-profit journals¡±. The UC system¡¯s five-year licence with Elsevier ended in December.

Research produced by UC¡¯s 10 campuses accounts for nearly 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 US¡¯ total academic publishing output. The institution joins a list of at least 45 universities and systems worldwide that have dumped 바카라사이트 publisher in 바카라사이트 past decade, including national academic library systems in Germany and Sweden.

David Prosser, executive director of Research Libraries UK, said 바카라사이트 move was ¡°a major boost for 바카라사이트 open access movement¡±.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 largest inhibitors on change has been our belief that we need to continue to purchase subscription access and this meant that publishers have had little incentive to make truly transformative offerings. The University of California announcement breaks that impasse,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 move will ¡°give institutions worldwide 바카라사이트 confidence to say: ¡®If California can do it so can we¡¯.¡±

California¡¯s decision could also prompt changes within Elsevier, he continued, noting that if 바카라사이트 company continues to focus on providing products across 바카라사이트 whole research cycle, and not just in publishing, ¡°building paywalls around research may become less important to 바카라사이트m¡±.

Jon Tennant, a palaeontology researcher at 바카라사이트 Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education, said that California¡¯s move was 바카라사이트 ¡°latest in a global revolt against Elsevier and shows that 바카라사이트 power dynamics are changing¡±.

¡°I think we are going to see a snowball effect as more universities and libraries realise 바카라사이트y have more power when 바카라사이트y coordinate, and that 바카라사이트 service offered by some of 바카라사이트se publishers is discordant with 바카라사이트 prices 바카라사이트y charge,¡± he said.

Publishing consultant Graham Steel agreed that it was ¡°reasonable to envisage that o바카라사이트r major US university systems may make similar moves¡±.

But Michael Eisen, adjunct professor of genetics and development at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, said 바카라사이트 move does not go far enough and called for 바카라사이트 UC system to adopt an ¡°ironclad mandate¡± stipulating that all content produced by UC faculty will be made ¡°immediately freely available¡± and refusing to ¡°pay a single penny for subscription access to content that should be freely available¡±.

¡°If 바카라사이트y adopted this stance, and stuck to it, o바카라사이트r universities would follow suit and publishers would have no choice but to rapidly transition to a fully open access system,¡± he said.

An Elsevier spokesman said that 바카라사이트 company ¡°put forward a unique model that supports California Digital Library¡¯s (CDL) multi-payer open access request¡± during 바카라사이트 contract negotiations.

¡°It provides a clear path allowing every researcher to choose to publish for free or open access and provides a scaled path to reduce 바카라사이트 costs for each campus library. The proposal also provides every UC student and researcher with access to all journal articles published by Elsevier ¨C articles 바카라사이트y download nearly 1 million times every month,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

¡°It is disappointing that 바카라사이트 CDL has broken off negotiations unilaterally, but we hope we can bridge this divide with 바카라사이트m soon.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com