Re: EPrints for Archaeology?

From: Chris Rusbridge <c.rusbridge_at_COMPSERV.GLA.AC.UK>
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 09:12:04 -0000

Stevan suggested setting up an Internet Archaeology section in CogPrints.
However, their difficulty in continuing to make past articles available is
not likely to have such a simple solution. Internet Archaeology (a great
journal which I commend to all of you as a fascinating read) was
specifically set up to explore those areas where a simple print journal will
not suffice, and where great value can be obtained by exploiting the
technology of the digital era. In its case, the post-Gutenberg galaxy is not
merely used for replicating paper across distance, but for supporting better
ways of understanding the content. The downside of this is that there tends
to be a very much greater engagement between the articles and the underlying
infrastructure which supports these extra features.

I know that IA changed platforms once before, and it was a very difficult
process. They may since have learned how to set up articles to have less
dependence, but it would certainly be no trivial matter to move the articles
into CogPrints or any other archive. In fact to do it, they would probably
need to charge even more to fund the development effort!

--
Chris Rusbridge
Director of Information Services, University of Glasgow
GLASGOW G12 8QQ
phone 0141 330 2516   fax 0141 330 5620
email: C.Rusbridge_at_compserv.gla.ac.uk
> -----Original Message-----
> From: September 1998 American Scientist Forum
> [mailto:AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_listserver.sigmaxi.org]On Behalf Of Stevan
> Harnad
> Sent: 29 November 2001 15:46 PM
> To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_listserver.sigmaxi.org
> Subject: EPrints for Archaeology?
>
>
> On Thu, 29 Nov 2001, Steve Hitchcock wrote:
>
> > Internet Archaeology, an open access journal originally funded
> > by eLib, has announced that it will have to start charging
> for access.
> > Buried in this announcement is the problem of charging being
> > retrospective, i.e. to access the content of issues 2-11,
> previously free,
> > now incurs a charge. The editor justifies it like this:
> >
> > >The eLib extension grant allowed us to continue free
> access for longer
> > >than we had anticipated, but we still will be carrying the costs of
> > >maintenance for the 50+ articles in the back issues into
> perpetuity, which
> > >is the main reason why we chose to charge for these also.
> But it is also
> > >why we chose only to make a single one-off charge for them.
> >
> > I'm inclined to suggest that they set-up an EPrints
> archive, or find a
> > friendly EPrints archive to do it for them in a more
> cost-effective manner
> > than they seem able to manage. Do any come to mind? It
> would not be a good
> > idea to suggest it only to find that none could offer a
> suitable home.
>
> I am willing to create an Archeology Sector in CogPrints, unless
> an existing Eprint Archive responds that their subject matter is
> closer, and are willing to host it.
>
> If you have a suitable Eprints Archive, this is a good way to
> encourage further content. Please let me (or Steve Hitchcock)
> know.
>
> Stevan Harnad
>

Received on Sun Dec 02 2001 - 15:22:03 GMT