[Open-access] Crowdsourcing request + BMJ OA Policy

Mon Mar 24 09:13:59 UTC 2014

On Saturday, March 22, 2014, 12:06:01 PM, you wrote:

> We clearly underestimate how backwards the Open Access
> community is compared to Wikipedia, the F/LOSS movement 
> and Open government. Publishers can drive holes through
> legislation and there are only a few of us to protect the
> commons. I am disappointed that University libraries
> aren't more active and knowledgeable.

I share your disappointment, but what other options do we have? I think Richard Poynder hit it the nail on the head in many ways:

http://poynder.blogspot.de/2014/03/the-state-of-open-access.html

If we keep working with publishers, we get what we deserve. Just this morning again, I read about yet another publisher turning their backs on scientists:

http://retractionwatch.com/2014/03/21/controversial-paper-linking-conspiracy-ideation-to-climate-change-skepticism-formally-retracted/

Nothing to do with licenses, but still outrageous.

If we keep treating publishers as viable options for our intellectual output, this is what we have to deal with.

So if libraries don't do what we'd expect them to do, maybe it's time for us to demand the infrastructure we need for our texts, software and data?

We should demand subscription cancellations to free up funds for infrastructure development, such that we can wean ourselves from the dependence of corporate publishers with orthogonal interests from ours.

Let's help our libraries help us, instead of wearing them thin, torn between the demands of their faculty and those of the publishers.

Before we can demand anything from libraries, we need to provide them with the wherewithal to actually deliver. Support subscription cuts now!

Bjoern

-- 
Björn Brembs
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http://brembs.net
Neurogenetics
Universität Regensburg
Germany