From: Diane Scott-Lichter <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:49:56 -0400
Problems with Gold OA? Latest issue of Learned Publishing now out
www.learned-publishing.org
We kick off with three independent (that is, they don’t know about
each other’s pieces!) items pointing out, as they see it, problems –
all different – with the Gold OA model. Not that they have a lot to
say about the parasitic (that’s meant to be a factual adjective, not a
pejorative one) Green OA model. Personally, with a modest background
in physics, I’m delighted that one of these is from one of the world’s
most eminent physicists, Sir Michael Berry. Another is from the
person who, I think, has the distinction of coining a new term in our
world, ‘Predatory publishers’, Jeffrey Beall, and rounded off by one
of the pioneers of administering APCs at universities, Stephen
Pinfield. What with the item about the issue of ‘funder power’ that we
had in January, we seem to be experiencing an upsurge in people
beginning to think through the issues as all the funder and national
mandates proliferate. As long as the debate remains rational, this
must be all to the good?
We also have a few ‘meaty’ items. For example, there’s a pretty
detailed review and comparison of Google Scholar Metrics with JCR and
Scimago – when things are similar or correlations are high, it doesn’t
mean they are equivalent, does it? Have a look to see what I mean.
Then, perhaps for the more technically minded, there’s a thorough look
at e-book and print production by Liam Borgstrom – even though
technical in approach, he does plead for what you might call the
‘human factor’.
Two surveys of actual researchers appear in the issue – one on the
needs of international authors, with some tips to journals on how they
can help non-native English speakers, even at the level of peer
review. The other concentrates on exactly how a relatively small group
of researchers handle their workflow – what do you think this comment
is referring to; ‘It’s for people who have too much time on their
hands’? it’s interesting, and possibly telling, but you’ll have to
read the piece to find out!
Yateendra Joshi queries the need for all those minutiae you find in
‘style’ guides (let’s hear it from any who disagree), and then, as
always these days, we have a couple of pieces about the changing
scenes in China, one specifically on the online scene. I get a lot of
submissions on the changes there, and try to ensure that anything we
publish has something new and of interest.
All polished off with some interesting book reviews, including one of
the new handbook of journal publishing – and you don’t even need a
subscription to read these. Likewise, my colleague, Diane
Scott-Lichter, has an interesting free-to-read editorial, this time
highlighting just how much time (and therefore money) publishers now
need to spend investigating claims of plagiarism and other ethical
violations. She calls for guidelines so that those making the claims
know what evidence they need so that the whole process could be made a
bit more efficient.
So, there must be something among all that that you want to read?
See you in three months.
Alan Singleton
Editor-in-Chief
Learned Publishing
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Learned Publishing Volume 26 No 2 April 2013 http://www.learned-publishing.org
All articles are free to all ALPSP and SSP members and to journal
subscribers; in addition, editorials, reviews and letters to the
Editors, as well as any articles where the author has taken up the
'ALPSP Author Choice'
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access the full content.
_______________________________
Diane Scott-Lichter
North American Editor
Learned Publishing
Journal of ALPSP (Association of Learned and
Professional Society Publishers)
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