From: "Jean-Claude Guédon" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2015 11:50:10 -0500

The article below (thanks to Colin Steele) is an example of a
courageous move that must be supported by the libraries:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/02/editors-and-editorial-board-quit-top-linguistics-journal-protest-subscription-fees

With regard to the Lingua (now Glossa) editorial board, l ibraries
could, for example,

1. Remove access to Lingua going forward (keep access to archive up to
December 31st, 2015) if caught in a Big Deal; remove Lingua from
subscriptions, starting in 2016, if not in a Big Deal

2. Support Glossa (the new journal) financially,

3. Promote Glossa widely. ERIH is already classifying the new journal
at the level of its current status by arguing that the quality of a
journal is linked to the editors and editorial board, and not to the
publisher.

Researchers in linguistics, of course, should boycott Elsevier's
Lingua from now on.

This event also demonstrates the importance for Learned and scientific
societies not to sell the title of their journals to publishers. So
long as we foolishly evaluate research according to the place where it
is published (i.e. a journal title), publishers will hold a strong
trump card.

Finally, this event displays the incredible behaviour of the
multinational, commercial, publishers with particular clarity. These
are not the friends of the scientific communication system we need.


Jean-Claude Guédon

Professeur titulaire
Littérature comparée
Université de Montréal