[GOAL] Re: Fee-free scholarly publishing

[Jean-Claude Guédon]

If we were to wait for subsidized gold OA in order to reach universal
OA, Stevan would be absolutely right.

However, we do not have to wait. We can simply go ahead in the way that
proves best for each specific situation.  

Subsidized gold OA already exists in many countries, and it is proving
useful. Let us make use of it wherever it is possible to do so. For
example, let us support SciELO and RedALyC in Latin America. Let us
recognize the sea change that PLoS One is generating in scientific
publishing and let us also readily recognize that it helps advertise OA
to the whole world.

Collecting existing published papers through mandates by funders,
institutions, and faculties, is also very useful. indeed, it is a
priority in a number of settings, institutions, etc. So, let us do it
wherever and whenever possible.

There is no need to be hostile to either of these methods.

Let us, therefore, pragmatically support what is available wherever it
is available, and each time let us see what is, again pragmatically,
easier to reach.

In his excellent book on OA, Peter Suber outlines very clearly the
hierarchy of desired objectives. For example, he says that "libre" OA is
better than "gratis" OA, but he also, and rightly, points out that
gratis is better than nothing. He also points out that while green is
often limited to gratis, gold is not a guarantee of libre either. In
short, green and gold relate in complex ways to the desired objectives.
These uncertain relationships between ideal ends and available means
militate in favour of open pragmatism.

Keeping the gold option available is not creating confusion; it is
simply opening up the range of tactics we have at our disposal.

Most of the confusion that Stevan mentions has been skilfully floated
and maintained by a number of publishers. The example of
"hybrid-journals" and silly solutions such as "open choice" have indeed
created a degree of confusion in the minds of many researchers, etc. But
that is not the fault of the gold road as a pathway to OA. Let us not
throw the baby with the bathwater.

Our challenge - I mean OA advocates - is to craft a message that while
unified and simple, does not become too rigidly reductionist.

My two cents' worth,

Jean-Claude Guédon



Le vendredi 17 août 2012 à 08:34 -0400, Stevan Harnad a écrit :

> If we wait for subsidized Gold OA in order to reach universal 
> OA we will wait till the heat death of the universe.
> 
> Please, please let's get behind a realistic, pragmatic, scalable, 
> sustainable, reachable course of action otherwise we will keep 
> running off in all directions and getting nowhere for years and 
> years to come.
> 
> There is only one (sic) such realistic, pragmatic, scalable, 
> sustainable, reachable course of action and that is universal 
> ID/OA mandates by funders and institutions.
> 
> Please let us back it, instead of compounding the confusion 
> about what needs to be done, and how.
> 
> The priority should be clear: First ensure that an effective 
> Green OA mandate (ID/OA) is adopted, and then -- and 
> only then -- consider supplementary steps, such as 
> trying to seek journal subsidies, 
> or trying to seek further user rights,
> or trying to improve navigation tools,
> or trying to seek Gold OA fee payment funds, 
> or trying to negotiate copyright agreements, 
> or trying to reform copyright, 
> or trying to reform publishing, 
> or trying to reform peer review, 
> or pursuing endless hypothetical, ideological debates,
> or what have you… ?
> 
> Once we do reach the optimal and inevitable outcome 
> (universal OA) we will be kicking ourselves for all the 
> needless years of  somnambulism, despite the relentless 
> wake-up calls.
> 
> Isn't the Finch Report symptom enough that we have been
> dallying far too long with funding matters instead of doing
> (and mandating) the few keystrokes it takes to provide 
> cost-free Green OA?
> 
> Stevan Harnad
> 
> On 2012-08-17, at 12:38 AM, koltzenburg at w4w.net wrote:
> 
> > thanks, Heather
> > 
> >> Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has long 
> >> had an academic journal subsidy program
> > 
> > incidentally, Croatia, too, which started their policy in Yugoslav times
> > 
> > for some details see the following from the Fifth Belgrade International Open Access Conference, 18-20 May 
> > 2012:
> > 
> > Supporting Open Access nationwide	Jadranka Stojanovski
> > University of Zadar, Zadar, and Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
> > slide presentation: http://boac.ceon.rs/public/site/Stojanovski.pdf
> > 
> > Keynote Lecture Three
> > Can Small Journals Provide Leadership?
> > Ana Marušić
> > University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
> > slide presentation: http://boac.ceon.rs/public/site/Marusic.pdf
> > video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnJAENp7wqE
> > 
> > my source: http://boac.ceon.rs/index.php/BOAC/12/pages/view/presentations
> 
> 
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