SCOAP3 and Open Access

Abstract

SCOAP3 is an innovative Open Access initiative for publishing in high-energy physics. The model is viewed by many as a potential solution to multiple issues related to the financial crisis, the peer review system, scholarly communication, and the need to support institutional repositories. This installment of “The Balance Point” presents articles written by three Open Access advocates, outlining the SCOAP3 proposal, benefits of participation, and some of the roles libraries, publishers and scientists can play in making important changes to scholarly communication. Contributors discuss scalability and transferability issues of SCOAP3, as well as other matters of concern.     

An Empirical Analysis of the Amount of Publication Fees

Among the financing strategies available for Open Access (OA), the author-pays business model has received increasing attention. The consequences of this approach, however, for the system of scholarly communication and for publishing houses as participants in value added, have remained largely unclear. The paper presented here, therefore, analyzes the probable realistic magnitude of publishing fees in different subjects, based on empirical data. The paper shows that the most favorable conditions are met in the Natural Sciences and in Mathematics. However, the analysis also shows that publishing houses would have to raise publishing fees well beyond the level that scientists are willing to pay. Furthermore, the analysis leads to the conclusion that the amount of money currently available in the system of scholarly communication is probably not sufficient for the sustainable financing of publishing fees.     

Delivery, Management and Access Model for E_prints and Open Access Journals

A study conducted for the (United Kingdom) Joint Information Systems Committee reviewed possible models for implementing Open Access to research reports in institutional archives and Open Access journals. The conclusion was that a “harvesting model,” in which full texts reside on the original servers but metadata are harvested, held, and enhanced by a central service, was preferable to either a centralized national service or a completely decentralized service for the UK. The study included issues of populating institutional archives (IAs) and some form of mandatory archiving for publicly funded research results to obtain a critical mass of Open Access material in such a system.     

Open Access: A Review of an Emerging Phenomenon

Discussion about Open Access (OA) has dominated industry news for the past two years. Librarians and publishers alike are attempting to fully grasp the implications of different business models on various issues, including costs, peer review, funding mechanisms, value, and archives. While there is general agreement about the importance of broadening access to scientific literature, there is disagreement on how this is best achieved in a financially responsible fashion. This article looks at some of the questions surrounding Open Access journals as well as the role publishing plays in the continuum of science in general, particularly with regard to membership organizations.     

Open Access: A Review of an Emerging Phenomenon

Abstract

Discussion about Open Access (OA) has dominated industry news for the past two years. Librarians and publishers alike are attempting to fully grasp the implications of different business models on various issues, including costs, peer review, funding mechanisms, value, and archives. While there is general agreement about the importance of broadening access to scientific literature, there is disagreement on how this is best achieved in a financially responsible fashion. This article looks at some of the questions surrounding Open Access journals as well as the role publishing plays in the continuum of science in general, particularly with regard to membership organizations.     

Open Access Is Only Part of the Story

Open Access is increasingly considered the most logical and hopeful solution to ease the burden on library budgets, as well as the best way to unshackle research findings—its primary role. But is Open Access the panacea for all the ills that currently beset those of us dedicated to the dissemination and preservation of good quality academic research? In this article, Richard Gedye (Sales Director, Oxford Journals) explores the background to one of Oxford Journals' current Open Access initiatives and explains some elements of the model adopted. He also offers his personal opinions on the significant role librarians could play in the Open Access story.     

Open Access Mandates and Policies: The Basics

Abstract

Universities can afford to subscribe to only a small percentage of available scholarly journals. Consequently, researchers do not have access to all articles in journals pertinent to their fields of study. The Open Access (OA) movement began in response to wanting to find a solution to this “serials crisis” and the availability of the Internet to disseminate scholarly research in new and innovative ways to a larger, worldwide audience. OA mandates are policies adopted by research institutions, universities, or funders that require researchers to provide free, unrestricted access to their published research by publishing in OA journals, depositing their articles in an OA repository or both. This edition of “In Lay Terms” provides basic information about OA mandates and policies, gives an overview of university and funder OA mandates, discusses geographic differences in policies and compliance rates, and reviews United States federal funding agencies’ OA policies and Plan S.     

Author disincentives and open access

All parties in the scholarly-information marketplace agree that any Open Access (OA) system will have to account for the costs of disseminating scholarly information and of editing, publishing and distributing it. There has been less discussion of the fact that for an OA forum to succeed, it will have to be accepted and supported by authors. Author charges, a relative lack of prestige, and the required abdication of copyright are three characteristics of many currently emerging OA models that may pose significant barriers to author acceptance. These will have to be addressed if OA providers wish to be competitive with non-OA providers.     

The Profit Squeeze and Its Effect on the Faxon Company from 1975–1994

Abstract

Open Access is increasingly considered the most logical and hopeful solution to ease the burden on library budgets, as well as the best way to unshackle research findings—its primary role. But is Open Access the panacea for all the ills that currently beset those of us dedicated to the dissemination and preservation of good quality academic research? In this article, Richard Gedye (Sales Director, Oxford Journals) explores the background to one of Oxford Journals' current Open Access initiatives and explains some elements of the model adopted. He also offers his personal opinions on the significant role librarians could play in the Open Access story.     

Author disincentives and open access

Abstract

All parties in the scholarly-information marketplace agree that any Open Access (OA) system will have to account for the costs of disseminating scholarly information and of editing, publishing and distributing it. There has been less discussion of the fact that for an OA forum to succeed, it will have to be accepted and supported by authors. Author charges, a relative lack of prestige, and the required abdication of copyright are three characteristics of many currently emerging OA models that may pose significant barriers to author acceptance. These will have to be addressed if OA providers wish to be competitive with non-OA providers.     

The “Green” and “Gold” Roads to Open Access: The Case for Mixing and Matching

Recent discussions on Open Access (OA) have tended to treat OA journals and self-archiving as two distinct routes. Some supporters of self-archiving even suggest that it alone can bring about full Open Access to the world's scientific literature. In this paper, it is argued that each route actually corresponds to a phase in the movement toward Open Access; that the mere fact of self-archiving is not enough; that providing some branding ability to the repositories is needed. However, doing so will eventually bring about the creation of overlay (or database) journals. The two roads, therefore, will merge to create a mature OA landscape.     

The “Green” and “Gold” Roads to Open Access: The Case for Mixing and Matching

Abstract

Recent discussions on Open Access (OA) have tended to treat OA journals and self-archiving as two distinct routes. Some supporters of self-archiving even suggest that it alone can bring about full Open Access to the world's scientific literature. In this paper, it is argued that each route actually corresponds to a phase in the movement toward Open Access; that the mere fact of self-archiving is not enough; that providing some branding ability to the repositories is needed. However, doing so will eventually bring about the creation of overlay (or database) journals. The two roads, therefore, will merge to create a mature OA landscape.     

An Integrative View of the Institutional Repositories in Hong Kong: Strategies and Challenges

This paper reports on the developmental strategies, challenges and directions of the institutional repositories of the higher educational institutions in Hong Kong. The study integrates the size, content, full text and public accessibility of these repositories. The paper also compares archived output with research output as registered by the Hong Kong University Grants Committee. Percentages of archived work are low for journal and conference papers, but moderate for graduate theses. These deposit rates reflect the differing institutional policies. In recognizing these challenges, the Hong Kong Open Access Committee has been formed to address regional issues in knowledge sharing.     

Transforming Access to Research Literature for Developing Countries

The economic development of a country depends heavily on its scientific strength and ability to resolve problems in such areas as public health, infectious disease, environmental management, or industrial progress. Access to research information traditionally depends on ability to pay, which has a negative impact on developing countries. A number of new initiatives address this imbalance, ranging from consortial licensing and new publishing models to the Open Access Initiative, and have the ability to meet the needs of research in financially constrained countries. The advent of the Open Access strategies, particularly interoperable institutional archives, has the potential to revolutionize access to essential research.     

Transforming Access to Research Literature for Developing Countries

Abstract

The economic development of a country depends heavily on its scientific strength and ability to resolve problems in such areas as public health, infectious disease, environmental management, or industrial progress. Access to research information traditionally depends on ability to pay, which has a negative impact on developing countries. A number of new initiatives address this imbalance, ranging from consortial licensing and new publishing models to the Open Access Initiative, and have the ability to meet the needs of research in financially constrained countries. The advent of the Open Access strategies, particularly interoperable institutional archives, has the potential to revolutionize access to essential research.