[GOAL] Re: Why should publishers agree to Green OA?

[Stevan Harnad]

On Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 4:13 PM, Jan Velterop <velterop at gmail.com> wrote:


> Given these difficulties and imponderables associated with 'green', I
> believe that 'gold' has a much better chance to lead to a stable open
> access. And the argument that 'green' would be cheaper is not
> substantiated. In fact, 'gold' is inevitably leading to real competition on
> price, as authors have a choice, and readers haven't. They need everything
> that's relevant for them, regardless of price. They can't read one journal
> out of two in the same field on the ground that it's the cheaper one, even
> if they are equivalent in terms of perceived quality. Authors can submit to
> the cheaper one. And where there is real competition, prices have a strong
> tendency to approach real 'production' costs, of course.
>

What does journal price competition (whether for subscription price or Gold
OA price) have to do with Green OA and Green OA mandates, which apply to
all journal articles?

What are the "difficulties and imponderables" with Green -- other than the
uphill quest to get more Green mandates adopted and optimized worldwide (a
quest made more difficult by the ponderous publisher FUD with which
gullible Finch committees gratuitously saddle the climb)?

Stevan Harnad
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