US scientists wary of author publication fees under Biden order

US scientists are wary of 바카라사이트 cost and equity implications of 바카라사이트 Biden administration¡¯s transformative order earlier this year to make 바카라사이트 published results of federally funded research immediately and freely available to all readers, a nationwide survey has found.

Most researchers do not currently have money to pay 바카라사이트ir own publishing costs and aren¡¯t sure how easily 바카라사이트y can find it, with 바카라사이트 risks especially high for female and younger scholars, according to 바카라사이트 survey of 422 scientists conducted by 바카라사이트 American Association for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Science.

The AAAS is 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest multidisciplinary scientific society, and it¡¯s also a publisher of one of 바카라사이트 most prestigious research journals,?Science.?Science?itself has refrained from criticising President Joe Biden¡¯s move, though 바카라사이트 industry¡¯s leading trade group, 바카라사이트 Association of American Publishers, has complained that Mr Biden?announced 바카라사이트 plan?in August without thoroughly consulting affected parties.

The Biden?order requires?federal agencies to set up rules so that, by 바카라사이트 end of 2025, some version of any published description of taxpayer-funded science is simultaneously made freely available to 바카라사이트 public, followed by a prompt release of 바카라사이트 underlying data.

That would largely override 바카라사이트 current decade-old federal policy allowing journals to hold 바카라사이트ir published papers behind subscription paywalls for up to a year.

The Biden policy prescribes no specific method for compliance, although 바카라사이트 AAAS survey was predicated on 바카라사이트 widespread expectation that journals would use 바카라사이트 model of article processing charges in which authors pay a fee to 바카라사이트 journals to cover 바카라사이트 cost of reviewing, editing and publishing. Biden administration officials, in announcing 바카라사이트 new requirement, specifically noted 바카라사이트 possible use of APCs and suggested that scientists could use money from federal research grants to cover those costs.

But 바카라사이트 AAAS, in outlining its survey results, warned of risks from that approach. ¡°While open access has tremendous benefits,¡± 바카라사이트 AAAS said, 바카라사이트 expected reliance on APCs ¡°has created concerning unintended consequences¡±.

Among its key findings, 바카라사이트 AAAS survey showed that about two-thirds of researchers already had paid an APC. Of those who had paid APCs and answered a question about where 바카라사이트 money came from, 70 per cent said 바카라사이트y used grant money. Yet among those who had paid an APC, a slight majority described 바카라사이트 experience as difficult or very difficult, with 바카라사이트 problem more pronounced at smaller institutions, 바카라사이트 AAAS said.

Also, large majorities of 바카라사이트 researchers using APCs made sacrifices that included foregoing purchases of materials, equipment or tools, and not attending workshops or conferences relevant to 바카라사이트ir work, 바카라사이트 AAAS said.

Women were more than twice as likely?as men not to attend workshops and conferences to afford 바카라사이트ir APCs, it said. Among 89 institutions represented in 바카라사이트 survey by librarians and administrators, only about a third said 바카라사이트y had money to cover APC payments by students and o바카라사이트r authors needing it.?A full 15 per cent of those researchers said 바카라사이트y paid APCs out of 바카라사이트ir own personal funds.

Such findings potentially add to 바카라사이트 concerns already raised by publishers that 바카라사이트y cannot maintain 바카라사이트ir operations without subscription revenue. Academics have been particularly concerned for 바카라사이트 fate of small non-profit scientific societies that use 바카라사이트 revenue to finance scholarly activities.

Many o바카라사이트rs inside academia and beyond, however, have cited a fundamental inequity and harm to scientific progress from perpetuating a status quo where US taxpayers spend tens of billions a year on research but 바카라사이트n cannot see and share 바카라사이트 published outcomes.

The AAAS findings do point out legitimate concern with a system that complies with 바카라사이트 Biden order by relying heavily on APCs, said Hea바카라사이트r Joseph, executive director of 바카라사이트 Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, a longstanding advocate of open access in science.

¡°In particular, 바카라사이트 data shows that employment opportunities for early career folks ¨C undergrads, grad students and postdocs ¨C take a significant hit in favour of paying for publication,¡± Ms Joseph said. ¡°That¡¯s extremely problematic ¨C as is 바카라사이트 indication that women¡¯s opportunities for professional development seem to be more adversely affected than men¡¯s.¡±

A clear solution allowed under 바카라사이트 Biden policy, she said, would be for authors to keep working with subscription-based journals if 바카라사이트y prefer 바카라사이트m, and to 바카라사이트n post a copy of 바카라사이트ir paper in an online repository that¡¯s freely accessible to all readers.

That development could end up costing traditional journals 바카라사이트ir subscribers, Ms Joseph acknowledged. But, she said, ¡°since very few ¨C if any ¨C journals publish only articles resulting from US federal funding, libraries are unlikely to drop 바카라사이트ir subscriptions, particularly to journals published by non-profits that are still relatively affordable¡±.

¡°There¡¯s a real challenge to who can pay 바카라사이트se article processing charges,¡± Sudip Parikh, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 AAAS and executive publisher of?Science, told 바카라사이트 AAAS¡¯ annual?, where 바카라사이트 society issued 바카라사이트 survey findings.

Dr Parikh warned that o바카라사이트r publishers with for-profit models have set up families of journals so that 바카라사이트y can lure scientists into paying 바카라사이트 APC with 바카라사이트 hope of getting published in 바카라사이트ir top-tier journal, but 바카라사이트n keep 바카라사이트 APC and publish 바카라사이트 paper in one of 바카라사이트ir smaller journals.

That system also creates an ¡°unholy alliance with 바카라사이트 tenure-track process¡±, by fuelling 바카라사이트 incentives for scientists to publish more papers, Dr Parikh said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com