[open-science] European Parliament petition: Remove Elsevier as the sole subcontractor for the EU Open Science Monitor

[Jon Tennant]

Dear list members,

Insert usual apology for cross-posting.

As many of you know, last year Elsevier were sub-contracted to help out
with the EU's Open Science Monitor. There was a lot of kerfuffle about
this, some of which is still ongoing. At the time, we drafted a formal
complaint to the EU Ombudsman about Elsevier's role here
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WQAFUebPx5TNvgUKuIaUFPa80cdBuJhDbhwlh15EHz0/edit#>,
which gathered more than 1100 signatories at the time.

However, to better represent these signatories, as well as for additional
reasons, I submitted a request for a formal petition on this matter to the
European Parliament. Finally, they have got around to looking at this, and
today I am happy to announce that the European Parliament launched an open
petition to have Elsevier removed as the sole subcontractor for the Open
Science MOOC -
https://petiport.secure.europarl.europa.eu/petitions/en/petition/content/0667%252F2018/html/Petition-No-0667%252F2018-by-Jonathan-Tennant-%2528British%2529-on-a-sole-subcontractor-for-the-EU-Open-Science-Monitor

Anyone can of course sign this, should they wish. They summarise it here:

The petitioner denounces the award to a subcontractor to monitor the future
progress of Open Science in Europe, as well as the fact that the
opportunity to raise a formal appeal was denied to him and others, due to
the late notification of the award. He claims that the process of the
subcontract award will have a detrimental impact on the future of Open
Science and innovation in Europe, the livelihoods of European citizens, and
the legitimacy of the European Commission as an institution. He denounces
the lack of sufficient care and transparency with the process of the
contracting procedure. Second, and as a consequence of this, there would be
a clear conflict of interest (COI) as the subcontractor would be monitoring
and evaluating the very same science communication that they, and their
competitors, sell as their primary products.

Probably the last chance I'll get the chance to do something like this as a
soon-to-be-Brexited citizen, so, enjoy!

Jon
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*  Nomadic Palaeontologist, Rogue Open Scientist; PhD, MEarthSci, MSc*

   - Founder of the *Open Science MOOC
   <https://eliademy.com/catalog/catalog/product/view/sku/02d7338a7e> *


<https://eliademy.com/catalog/catalog/product/view/sku/02d7338a7e>

   - Founder of *paleorXiv* <https://paleorxiv.org/>, a free digital
   publishing platform for Palaeontology
   - Companion Website <https://paleorxiv.github.io/>
   - Independent open science communicator and consultant
   <http://fossilsandshit.com/open-scholarship/>
   - Author of Excavate! Dinosaurs
      <http://www.amazon.co.uk/Excavate-Dinosaurs-Paper-Toy-Palaeontology/dp/178240144X>
and
      World of Dinosaurs (coming 2018)

*Personal website <http://fossilsandshit.com/> - Home of the Green Tea and
Velociraptors blog.*

*ORCID:* 0000-0001-7794-0218 <http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7794-0218>
*Twitter:* @protohedgehog
<https://twitter.com/Protohedgehog>
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