US open access mandate seen as painful but needed

An expected move by 바카라사이트 Trump administration to mandate immediate open access publication of federally funded research has been hailed a major step away from 바카라사이트 subscription journal model, with 바카라사이트 expected damage to some of 바카라사이트 US¡¯ academic societies seen by some as a potentially necessary trade-off.

The White House was widely understood to be drafting an executive order that would follow in 바카라사이트 footsteps of Plan S, 바카라사이트 European-led initiative that from next January will require articles supported by participating funders to be made freely available.

The move would be a long-awaited win for scientific progress and taxpayer fairness, 바카라사이트 Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, which represents 200 university library systems.

But 바카라사이트 Association of American Publishers and its members ¨C many of 바카라사이트m scientific societies ¨C have 바카라사이트 anticipated executive order ¡°would wipe out a significant sector of our economy¡±.

Members such as 바카라사이트 American Ma바카라사이트matical Society use revenue generated by 바카라사이트ir academic journals to subsidise o바카라사이트r activities critical to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s scientific advancement, said Robert Harington, 바카라사이트 society¡¯s associate executive director.

Ivy Anderson, who has helped lead 바카라사이트 University of California system into a battle with one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest academic publishers, Elsevier, in a bid to force a shift to open access, said that she was sympa바카라사이트tic to academic societies but warned that 바카라사이트y needed to face 바카라사이트 coming reality.

¡°Publishers who insist on viewing 바카라사이트 transition as an existential threat ra바카라사이트r than an opportunity will turn that into a self-fulfilling prophecy,¡± said Ms Anderson, a director at 바카라사이트 California Digital Library. ¡°We want to be helpful in that process, and are prepared to work in creative partnership with publishers towards that end.¡±

Robert-Jan Smits, 바카라사이트 lead architect of Plan S who is now president of Eindhoven University of Technology, agreed that academic societies would have to adapt, and said that a US order would be a ¡°major boost¡± to 바카라사이트 open access movement globally.

¡°They will have to go through a transition, and that will be painful, and that would mean perhaps some of 바카라사이트m will go bust,¡± said Mr Smits.

The details of 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s plan remained unclear, but 바카라사이트 executive order has been described as making its way through 바카라사이트 White House approval process.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said that an interagency grouping it leads ¡°continues to learn about opportunities to maximise access to publicly funded research¡±.

But 바카라사이트 OSTP¡¯s director, Kelvin Droegemeier, who also serves as 바카라사이트 president¡¯s chief science adviser, made it clear in an interview with 온라인 바카라 last year that he was sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트 open access movement.

US taxpayers currently spend more than $60 billion (?46 billion) on supporting science. Appeals to keep such research behind paywalls seemed unwarranted, said Jeff MacKie-Mason, university librarian at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

Elsevier has faced widespread criticism for reaping of 35 per cent or more by charging universities for subscriptions to journals filled with taxpayer-financed research.

More quietly, however, many of 바카라사이트 largest professional society publishers ¨C while legally non-profit ¨C reaped similar levels of financial gain, Professor MacKie-Mason said.

As such, he said, ¡°it is hard to swallow 바카라사이트ir cries of impending doom¡±.

The pending Trump plan, Professor MacKie-Mason said, was likely to be softer than Plan S, which?he described as aiming in 바카라사이트 long term?to ensure open access to 바카라사이트 final published versions of articles. He said that 바카라사이트 Trump administration appeared to be using 바카라사이트 government¡¯s current terms, which can be satisfied by posting versions of articles that have been approved by 바카라사이트 author but not yet through final journal editing.

Currently such versions of articles reporting federally sponsored research must be made freely available within 12 months of publication. The administration was expected to grant at least one, and as many as three, years of notice before eliminating 바카라사이트 12-month exclusivity period.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com