[open-science] JennyMolloy and PeterMR representing OKF at Open Science Summit

Fri Oct 28 00:14:07 UTC 2011

For the record, I agree with Pawel.  It's one thing to be provocative,
quite another to make your fellow-travelers' lives more difficult. 
Appeals to the heart via wrenching images of poverty are not suitable
for conversations about scholarly publishing: they simply make it easier
for opponents to muddy the waters.

Peter, you have done more than most in the service of Open Foo, and from
time to time the same enthusiasm that powers your achievements has
carried you over the line and put you in a position where you've had to
retract, adjust or apologize for various statements.  I've never
considered that a bad thing and I've always admired your willingness to
own up to error.  I think this is one of those times.  You've simply
made statements that you can't support, and coming from someone of your
stature that really does not help the cause.

best,

Bill.

On Thursday, October 27, 2011 7:09 AM, "Peter Murray-Rust"
<pm286 at cam.ac.uk> wrote:
> 2011/10/27 Paweł Szczęsny <ps at pawelszczesny.org>
> 
> > Dear Peter,
> >
> > I'm even more outraged after seeing the slides, than I was after
> > reading your blog posts.  Not only you show no data for assertion
> > "closed access means people die" (anecdotal evidence is not an
> > evidence - instead of formulating a hypothesis, you claim  "I don’t
> > think anyone can deny the truth of that conclusion."), but you imply
> > absolutely false connection between mortality rates in very poor
> > countries and lack of access to primary research literature.
> >
> 
> I did not say it was the major cause of mortality, but it is a
> contributor,
> including in the rich west. After talking with people who run patient
> groups
> there is anecdotal evidence that many patients cannot get access to the
> literature they want and that diagnoses are in error because of that.
> 
> I shall take steps to create bodies of anecdotal evidence to support my
> assertion.
> 
> >
> > This is very wrong. Majority of maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh
> > (see your last slide) is attributed to child marriage, lack of female
> > education and lack of skilled birth attendants. Access to scholarly
> > literature is absolutely irrelevant in such case. You'd need to
> > improve the standard of living and the quality of education first.
> >
> 
> this is an independent effect.
> 
> 
> > Please stop flashing images of poor people in your open foo talks.
> > You're harming the credibility of open science community.
> >
> >
> That's an opinion.
> 
> P.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Peter Murray-Rust
> Reader in Molecular Informatics
> Unilever Centre, Dep. Of Chemistry
> University of Cambridge
> CB2 1EW, UK
> +44-1223-763069
> 
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