Re: Gold Fever: Read and Weep

From: David Prosser <david.prosser_at_BODLEY.OX.AC.UK>
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:48:46 +0100

Interestingly, the main objection against the policy as reported was:

 

"Open access will kill the journals you need during your career,"
women's studies professor and university senator Claire Moses said.
"It's as simple as that."

 

That is not a gold/green OA misunderstanding.  That's just a
misunderstanding.  It is not clear to me that this would have been
cleared-up if the Maryland resolution had removed all mention of
journals - some academics fear that green OA will destroy journals.

 

I know that some feel that all the world's ills can be layed at the
door of gold OA, but this really doesn't look like a case of
so-called `gold fever'.

 

David

 

David C Prosser PhD

Director

SPARC Europe

 

Tel:      +44 (0) 1865 277 614

Mobile: +44 (0) 7974 673 888

Web:    www.sparceurope.org


____________________________________________________________________________


From: American Scientist Open Access Forum
[mailto:AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG]
On Behalf Of Stevan Harnad
Sent: 24 April 2009 17:27
To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG
Subject: Gold Fever: Read and Weep

 

** Apologies for cross-posting **

 

Those who still harbor any doubt that the mixing of talk about Gold
OA publishing or funding with plans for Green OA self-archiving
mandates causes anything but confusion, distraction, delay and
failure to make progress toward universal OA: Please readPeter
Suber's comments on this this latest fiasco at the University of
Maryland -- and weep.

And then please trust some sound advice from a weary and wizened but
world-wise archivangelist:

Disentangle completely all talk and policy concerning the requirement
to self-archive refereed journal articles (the Green OA mandate) from
any advice concerning whether or not to publish in Gold OA journals,
and from any plans to help authors pay for Gold OA journal publishing
charges, should they elect to publish in a fee-based Gold OA journal.

Otherwise this mindless and thoughtless Gold Fever will just usher in
yet another half-decade of failure to reach for what is already fully
within the global research community's grasp: universal Green OA
through universal Green OA self-archiving mandates adopted by
universities and research funders worldwide.

Stevan Harnad
American Scientist Open Access Forum
Received on Sat Apr 25 2009 - 17:01:59 BST