Re: Directory of Open Access Journals

From: Jan Velterop <jan_at_BIOMEDCENTRAL.COM>
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 13:54:05 -0000

"a funding model that *charges* any users or their institutions *for the
online version* are not included unless the online version is *also OPENLY
accessible* to EVERYONE ON THE WEB toll-free"?

You gotta be kiddin'. Truisms like this are not clarifying, they are
confusing. "This costs you unless we also don't charge for it"? "The moon is
not made of cheese unless it is made of cheese".

My suggestion:
"Journals that charge anybody for access to the online version of research
articles, or erects other access barriers such as compulsory registration,
anytime, anywhere, are not included. (Charging only for the parallel print
edition is acceptable.)"

Jan


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stevan Harnad [mailto:harnad_at_ecs.soton.ac.uk]
> Sent: 15 January 2004 12:50
> To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG
> Subject: Re: Directory of Open Access Journals
>
>
> Dear Sara & Lars:
>
> How easily words can be misconstrued! I had suggested:
>
> > 2.1 Cost: Journals that use a funding model that charges
> any users or
> > their institutions for the online version are not
> included unless the
> > online version is also accessible to all users toll-free
> (full-text,
> > immediately, permanently, downloadable from the web by
> anyone, any
> > time). Charging for a parallel print edition is acceptable.
>
> But of course it should instead be (see CAPS)
>
> 2.1 Cost: Journals that use a funding model that charges
> any users or
> their institutions for the online version are not
> included unless the
> online version is also OPENLY accessible to EVERYONE ON THE WEB
> toll-free (full-text, immediately, permanently, downloadable from
> the web by anyone, any time). Charging for a parallel
> print VERSION
> is ALSO acceptable -- AS LONG AS IT IS NOT A
> PRECONDITION FOR ACCESS
> TO THE OPEN-ACCESS ONLINE VERSION.
>
> Wordier, alas, but I think at last conveys the real point.
>
> Stevan Harnad
>
Received on Thu Jan 15 2004 - 13:54:05 GMT