[GOAL] Re: op-ed on Research Works Act in today's NYT

[Thomas Krichel]

  David Prosser writes

> Oh come on Thomas, I know you like to be provocative, but:

  I think it better to stick to the issues, rather than personalise
  the debate. 

> It is not libraries that submit their papers to publishers and sign
> over exclusive rights, nor is it libraries that compel researchers
> to do so.

  This is orthogonal to the open vs toll-gated access issue, since the
  sign-over could occur also to an open-access outlet. I agree that
  blank sign-over of rights is bad in many cases but this not what the
  issue is about here.

> It is not libraries that provide peer-review services to publishers for free

  Again this is orthogonal to the open vs toll-gated access issue
  because the peer review is essentially the same process for open
  access as for toll-gated journals.

> It is not libraries that decide promotion and tenure conditions, or
> make research funding decisions based on the journal in which
> researchers publish, rather than the quality of the research itself.

  Again this is essentially orthogonal to the open vs closed access
  issue because the evaluation of research by the outlet is
  independent of the fact if the research is in an open access vs a
  toll-gated journal.  I concede that the majority of high quality
  outlets are old. Thus evaluation by outlet introduces a bias.

  Dismissing academics as only looking at the publishing outlet when
  evaluation research quality strikes me as provocative but it's a
  provocation that is not central to the toll-gated vs open-access
  debate.

> If libraries unilaterally cancelled all subscriptions today the
> immediate result would not be open access tomorrow - it would be the
> sacking of library directors by their institutions!

  This is completely unproven. I suggest to give half of the money
  saved for faculty travel and/or submission fees to journals and half
  to institutional repository (IR) development. All jobs in the
  library will be saved and new staff for IR development will be hired
  in the library. My assertion is as unproven as David's, of course.

  Now back to bed... 

  Cheers,

  Thomas Krichel                    http://openlib.org/home/krichel
                                      http://authorprofile.org/pkr1
                                               skype: thomaskrichel