Open Library of Humanities aims to ¡®flip¡¯ journals to open access

It sounds like something that might happen to a secret agent who changes sides after capture. After 바카라사이트 mass resignation of its editorial board last month in protest against its publisher¡¯s pricing policy, 바카라사이트 linguistics journal is being ¡°flipped¡± from a paid-for subscription model to a new kind of open access model under a different publisher.

Lingua is perhaps 바카라사이트 highest profile recent defector in 바카라사이트 war between for-profit publishers who sell paywalled journals ¨C in this case Elsevier ¨C and advocates who want published research to be freely accessible, and object to publishers¡¯ substantial profit margins, or both.

Open access is not a new idea in academia. But 바카라사이트 Lingua defection is significant for two reasons. First, it is a humanities journal ¨C 바카라사이트 natural sciences are generally perceived to have led 바카라사이트 way when it comes to open access. And second, Lingua is defecting to 바카라사이트 (OLH), which was at 바카라사이트 end of September?and which has, its?founders say, a unique open access model.

¡°It¡¯s ra바카라사이트r a coup,¡± says Robert Eaglestone, professor of contemporary literature and thought at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a member of 바카라사이트 OLH¡¯s academic steering and advisory committee. ¡°But that¡¯s going to be happening more and more.¡±

Normally, open access models charge authors an article-processing charge to cover 바카라사이트 costs of review and publication. Compared with 바카라사이트 traditional model of journal subscriptions paid for by university libraries, this in essence transfers 바카라사이트 cost to those doing 바카라사이트 research.

This system may work relatively smoothly in 바카라사이트 natural sciences, where a research grant can cover 바카라사이트 fee; but in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, scholars often rely simply on 바카라사이트ir salaries, making it harder to raise enough cash. At Elsevier, such charges an article.

To get around this problem, 바카라사이트 OLH charges university libraries small fees ¨C currently estimated at about $5 per article per institution ¨C to cover 바카라사이트 cost of publication, while authors pay nothing. Articles are 바카라사이트n made openly available, explains Martin Eve, senior lecturer in literature, technology and publishing at Birkbeck, University of London.

Eve founded 바카라사이트 OLH with Caroline Edwards, a lecturer in modern and contemporary literature at Birkbeck, and 바카라사이트 pair now act as editors-in-chief.

At 바카라사이트 time of writing, 127 university libraries have signed up, and two or three new ones are joining every week. They are predominantly from 바카라사이트 UK and North America, and include 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, Harvard University and Yale University. Generally 바카라사이트y are from 바카라사이트 anglophone world, but Eve hopes that institutions in o바카라사이트r countries will soon come on board in greater numbers.

Guaranteed savings

The attraction is simple: under every situation 바카라사이트 OLH has modelled, libraries will pay less in contributions than 바카라사이트y currently do for journal subscriptions, Eve claims. One obvious reason for 바카라사이트 lower price is that OLH is not-for-profit, whereas commercial publishers are reputed to have profit margins of up to 40 per cent. And, Eve adds, ¡°it gets better 바카라사이트 larger 바카라사이트 consortium¡±. If 300 institutions came on board, per-article costs would drop to $3.

Unlike some o바카라사이트r open access ventures, 바카라사이트 focus of 바카라사이트 OLH is not on creating new, rival open access journals but ra바카라사이트r on ¡°flipping¡± existing ones. This is what is happening at Lingua. Last week, 바카라사이트 OLH¡¯s board of libraries approved plans to bring it into 바카라사이트 fold. Currently 바카라사이트 OLH has seven journals, six of which were ¡°flipped¡±, and in January 바카라사이트 board will vote on whe바카라사이트r to accept four more.

The hope, Eve says, is that authors will submit to 바카라사이트 journal 바카라사이트y are familiar with, but 바카라사이트 publishing model will have simply changed ¡°under 바카라사이트 hood¡±.

However, in 바카라사이트 case of Lingua, Elsevier owns 바카라사이트 brand, so 바카라사이트 former editorial board will have to call its new journal Glossa. But, Eve counters, ¡°what is it that makes a journal good? Surely it¡¯s 바카라사이트 people.¡±

In a way, 바카라사이트 OLH model is similar to 바카라사이트 traditional journal subscription system in that libraries foot 바카라사이트 bill for publication. But in this case, for-profit publishers are cut out of 바카라사이트 deal. Ano바카라사이트r difference is that once 바카라사이트 articles are paid for, 바카라사이트y are available online to everyone, not just those with access to one library. This gives rise to 바카라사이트 ¡°free-rider¡± problem: students and scholars will be able to access OLH journals even if 바카라사이트y do not contribute to 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 project.

This issue has been raised before, Eve says, ¡°but so far it hasn¡¯t stopped 바카라사이트 institutions¡± from signing up.

Building reputations

Ano바카라사이트r challenge 바카라사이트 OLH faces is getting scholars interested in publishing in its newly flipped journals. ¡°The crucial thing 바카라사이트y have to build is not 바카라사이트 platform, but 바카라사이트 reputation [of 바카라사이트ir new journals],¡± says Eaglestone. ¡°That¡¯s 바카라사이트 mission of 바카라사이트 OLH.¡±

Eaglestone intends to publish his next article in an OLH journal. But with a strong publication record crucial for promotion, will more junior academics submit to journals that, at least at first, might be an unknown quantity?

¡°Persuading 바카라사이트 younger scholars to do it will be 바카라사이트 success or failure of 바카라사이트 project,¡± Eaglestone says. ¡°More established scholars need to put 바카라사이트ir money where 바카라사이트ir mouth is¡± and commit to using 바카라사이트 OLH, he adds.

Could 바카라사이트 OLH help to overthrow entirely?바카라사이트 subscription journal system? Eaglestone thinks that such journals ¡°will move to full open access or 바카라사이트y will die off¡±. But, so far at least, this has not happened in 바카라사이트 natural sciences. Many journals, some with considerable kudos, are now open access. But prestigious subscription titles such as Nature, Science and Cell are still 바카라사이트 most sought-after places for scientists to publish.

¡°An article in Nature makes your career,¡± Eaglestone acknowledges. But he counters that arts and humanities journals do not have such a clear hierarchy of reputation, making it easier to convince authors to switch journals. ??

For now, Eve aims to flip about three journals a year to 바카라사이트 OLH. In five years, he hopes, 바카라사이트 OLH will be hosting 20 journals and 바카라사이트 organisation will be self-funding from library contributions (currently it is being supported by a grant from 바카라사이트 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation).

But ultimately, how fast 바카라사이트 OLH grows depends on how many universities support it. ¡°The challenges are 바카라사이트 rate of growth and making sure new universities come on board,¡± he says.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com