Re: Further precisions on the Finnish situation

From: Kimmo Kuusela <kimku_at_WELHO.COM>
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 09:34:30 -0400

Arthur Sale wrote:

>I understood Kimmo Kuusela to say
>that (a) the number of journals was not known,

I said: "There are about 70 peer reviewed scientific/scholarly journals
published in Finland. All of them are at least eligible for public funding."

Later I also said that the number of refereed journals is 72. Someone else
has said the number of journals is not known.

>There did not appear to be a public funds subsidization evident, though his
>may be evident in a socialist society.

A socialist society? Finland?

>My conclusion is that in Finland there may be no journals subsidized by
>public funds,

In 2004 the total amount of *direct* subsidies awarded by the Academy of
Finland to refereed journals were approximately 618850 euros. For all of
the scholarly publishing combined (refereed journals plus books), the
*direct* subsidies were approx. 863070 euros. The number of refereed
journals receiving *direct* public subsidy was approx. 61.

The Academy of Finland is a state bureau. It is not a
scientific/learned/professional society/association in any sense. Its sole
purpose is to distribute public money to academic research, including
*direct* subsidies to academic publishing.

>This whole activity is so unproductive that I appeal to Jean-Claude to
>abandon it. It is only resulting on highly shonky data, which I would not
>rely on (and if I were ever asked to referee would immediately reject). It
>wastes my time and that of others on this list.

Are you referring to my data? (shonky : adjective, AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH
INFORMAL, of low quality)


Kimmo Kuusela
Helsinki
Received on Tue Oct 04 2005 - 15:20:26 BST