So let's say you're a publisher of medical journals. You charge subscribers hundreds of dollars a year to get the latest studies about oncology or podiatry or abnormal psychology. The money rolls in, the journals roll out, and everything is good.
Then along come a tide of open-access journals that let everyone read research for free. Do you join the trend for the good of humanity?
Naw. You launch a public relations offensive: ...
This week, I'll be writing a story for Wired News about the future of scientific-journal publishing. It'll be a follow-up to a story I wrote in 2005.
How big of a threat do open-access journals pose to traditional publishers? What does the old guard hope to accomplish through public relations? And what will the open-access battle mean for your friendly neighborhood scientists and doctors who rely on these journals?
Speaking of open access, Wired News is embracing the concept in its reporting. As I do research and talk to experts for this story, you'll get updates in this blog....If you have thoughts on angles for this story -- and good sources for me to interview -- drop them in the comments.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 1/30/2007 08:08:00 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.
