[GOAL] [SCHOLCOMM] ‘Transformative’ open access publishing deals are only entrenching commercial power

[Thomas Krichel]

  Jon Tennant writes

> Every year, we waste billions of euros of taxpayers money on inefficient
> systems with outrageous profit margins.

  Not "we" waste. Subscription-purchasing librarians waste.

  I have been calling for subscriptions to be cut for many years only
  to be dismissed and ridiculed. But finally the tide is starting to
  turn. 

> The current model of scholarly publishing contains a disastrous blend of
> Stockholm Syndrome and cognitive dissonance. Researchers are helplessly
> locked into the system because of an over-reliance on journal brands for
> their evaluations, including for promotion, grants and tenure.

  That has little to do with the expense of the current system. An
  over-reliance on journals could also happen in a system that is much
  less expensive. 

> I find it absurd that the most supposedly intellectual people in the
> world cannot find an evaluation system better than this.

  There are many ways of being intellectual. I for one don't expect people
  who are experts in their own special area also to be experts on
  scholarly communication.

> "Plan S" does not seem to make this situation better.

  I'm not closely following Plan S but I tend to agree. Open access
  has the risk of making commercial intermediation even more expensive
  than toll-gated access ever was. 

> We are continuing to actively work against efforts to return control of
> publishing to the academic community.

  Who is your "we" here?

-- 

  Cheers,

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