[GOAL] COVID-19 and access to knowledge

[Stevan Harnad]

I agree with Peter. 

Eric has gone over to the devil. 

This is a shameful time for token measures. 

Covid-19 is a litmus test for disclosing who are going all out for the public good and who are in it for themselves. 

OA used to be for the sake of scientific and scholarly research -- an abstraction, and it did not succeed. 

Here it’s about survival.

Stevan Harnad
Editor, Animal Sentience <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanimalstudiesrepository.org%2Fanimsent%2F&amp;data=01%7C01%7C%7Cd547a0da71564c7fb48108d7d56f0886%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&amp;sdata=u4SeHgBD0Upyemmp4Nf0%2Be9a3nOcKNimsGZ3BY2YhGA%3D&amp;reserved=0>
Professor of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrcsc.uqam.ca%2F&amp;data=01%7C01%7C%7Cd547a0da71564c7fb48108d7d56f0886%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&amp;sdata=cXNp0TpmsXPsLTCN5AYm8hfmpZmgij7X2Up3%2FNnGjvo%3D&amp;reserved=0>
Adjunct Professor of Cognitive Science, McGill University <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcgill.ca%2Fpsychology%2Fabout%2Ffaculty-0%2Faffiliate-and-adjunct&amp;data=01%7C01%7C%7Cd547a0da71564c7fb48108d7d56f0886%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&amp;sdata=FirEAYdQS9zIJvZwZOu3TyqInl7b71VCYxIDnoAQ6O4%3D&amp;reserved=0>
Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Science, University of Southampton <http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/people/harnad>

> On Mar 30, 2020, at 6:14 PM, Peter Murray-Rust <pm286 at cam.ac.uk> wrote:
> 
> On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 7:48 PM Éric Archambault <eric.archambault at science-metrix.com <mailto:eric.archambault at science-metrix.com>> wrote:
>> Peter,
>> 
>> Two months ago, that is, on January 27, we started work at Elsevier to make available as much as possible of the scholarly literature on coronavirus research easily discoverable and freely accessible.
>> 
>> At 1science, we created the Coronavirus Research Hub:
>> 
> Why does Elsevier not simply open all its content and let the scientific , medical and citizen community decide what they want? Elsevier can't guess what we want.
> 
> The Royal Society has done this. Elsevier can afford to do it. 
>> If we can help further, please let us know, we have been on it for two months and we continue to evaluate options to help the research community.
>> 
> My colleague, a software developer, working for free on openVirus software,  is spending most of his time working making masks in Cambridge Makespace to ship to Addenbrooke's hospital. When he goes to the literature to find literature on masks, their efficacy and use and construction he finds paywall after paywall after paywall after paywall .... Some are 1-page notes behind a 36 USD Elsevier paywall. 
> 
> Do not tell us what we want. let us choose freely.
> 
> Peter Murray-Rust
> 
> Volunteer fighting for free scientific knowledge in a world crisis.
> 
> -- 
> "I always retain copyright in my papers, and nothing in any contract I sign with any publisher will override that fact. You should do the same".
> 
> Peter Murray-Rust
> Reader Emeritus in Molecular Informatics
> Unilever Centre, Dept. Of Chemistry
> University of Cambridge
> CB2 1EW, UK
> +44-1223-763069

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