[Open-access] Crowdsourcing request + BMJ OA Policy

Mon Mar 24 10:29:35 UTC 2014

Yes 
I think we have to get this issue to citizens get them to demand info from universities lobby politicians etc

Sent from my iPhone

On 24 Mar 2014, at 09:13, Bjoern Brembs <b.brembs at gmail.com> wrote:

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