Kudos to RSC for taking this commendable step. RSC will not lose much, if any, potential revenue, but will surely generate goodwill and good science, the latter of which is a core mission of the society. In fact, the core mission of scientific societies (RSC, ACS, AIP, APS, IoP, AGU, etc) is to promote the advancement of their science and its understanding by society at large. Society publishers can easily be understood arising from this core mission. From the RSC charter:
The RSC's original Charter was granted in 1848. The RSC's Royal Charter, granted in 1980, states that: "The object for which the Society is constituted is the general advancement of chemical science and its application and for that purpose: 1. to foster and encourage the growth and application of such science by the dissemination of chemical knowledge;..."
I cannot fathom how anyone can justify this heritage and trust being held hostage by a profit motive, by a desire to extract continuing revenue at the cost of advancing the science which is supposed to be the fundamental purpose of the organization....The challenge to ACS to live up their charter and begin to provide access to a portion of the world's chemical heritage which they control is apparent....
SEC. 2. That the objects of the incorporation shall be to encourage in the broadest and most liberal manner the advancement of chemistry in all its branches; the promotion of research in chemical science and industry; the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemists through high standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments; the increase and diffusion of chemical knowledge; and by its meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions, and publications, to promote scientific interests and inquiry, thereby fostering public welfare and education, aiding the development of our country’s industries, and adding to the material prosperity and happiness of our people.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 3/03/2006 10:29:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
