[GOAL] Maximizing the visibility of research outputs: COAR call for action - Open letter to Elsevier

[Birgit Schmidt]

- Apologies for cross-posting -

"With this letter", says Norbert Lossau, Chair of COAR Executive Board, 
"The Confederation of Open Access Repositories is joining in the growing 
protest against Elsevier's practices opposing open access. We strongly 
believe that open access will greatly improve the impact and use of 
scholarly publications, and maximize our collective global investment in 
research."

*                                                                                                          
                                     February 6, 2012

Maximizing the visibility of research outputs: COAR call for action*
**

Open letter to Youngsuk (Y.S.) Chi - Chairman, Elsevier Management 
Committee and Head of Global Academic & Customer Relations

The Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR) joins the research 
community <http://thecostofknowledge.com/> in condemning Elsevier for 
its recent business practices and lobbying that undermine policies and 
activities promoting open access to scholarly literature. While many 
commercial publishers are working to adapt their business models to 
rising demands for open access, Elsevier has systematically acted to 
counter progress being made in the scholarly community towards this end.

One easy way of achieving open access is through the deposit of articles 
into online open access repositories. COAR strongly opposes the changes 
made by Elsevier to its article posting policies 
<http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/postingpolicy>. 
These policies prohibit authors affiliated with institutions or agencies 
that have open access mandates to deposit copies of their articles into 
an open access repository unless their institution signs a very 
restrictive agreement with Elsevier. Despite their public commitment to 
"universal access", Elsevier's policies are greatly limiting access to 
scholarly literature.

These policies are in direct conflict with the objectives of COAR's 
members and partners as well as the broader scholarly community, which 
aim to maximize access to and use of research literature. Therefore, 
COAR is discouraging its members and others from entering into 
agreements with Elsevier or other publishers that undermine open access 
mandates and intervene with already established and emerging author 
practices of article deposit.

COAR urges Elsevier to reconsider its prohibitive approach to open 
access and revise its policies to allow the deposit of research articles 
with minimum delay. We encourage publishers to work closely with the 
library and repository communities to develop effective and sustainable 
methods for article deposit that serve the needs of researchers, their 
institutions, and society as a whole. In addition, COAR welcomes 
like-minded organizations -- such as licensing agencies, library 
consortia, etc. -- to join us in developing and adopting best practice 
for policies and procedures regarding article deposit into open access 
repositories.

The Confederation of Open Access Repositories is a not-for-profit 
association of repository initiatives that aims to enhance visibility 
and application of research outputs through global networks of Open 
Access digital repositories. COAR represents over 80 institutions from 
24 countries from throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, and North America.

Norbert Lossau, Chair of the Executive Board, Confederation of Open 
Access Repositories

Further information
http://www.coar-repositories.org/
http://www.coar-repositories.org/news/coar-writes-open-letter-as-reaction-to-elseviers-practices/

-- 
******************************************************
Dr. Birgit Schmidt
Scientific Manager

Goettingen State and University Library
- Electronic Publishing -
Platz der Goettinger Sieben 1
D-37073 Goettingen

Tel. +49 551 39-5228
Fax  +49 551 39-5222
bschmidt at sub.uni-goettingen.de
______________________________________________________

COAR www.coar-repositories.org
OpenAIRE www.openaire.eu
OAPEN www.oapen.org
Open Access www.open-access.net

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