From: Jan Velterop <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:39:20 +0200

Joe,

It's actually quite a complex issue. And it's more about culturalism
than about linguism per se (though a slightly unusual use of English
in communications from some new publishers easily slides into
dismissal by the recipients). I'm referring to science publishing
here, and the way publications are regarded. My remark was sparked by
Jeffrey Beall's list of 'predatory open access publishers':
http://metadata.posterous.com/83235355 . Many of the publishers on his
list, the majority even, have non-anglo-saxon origins. Instead of
helping those publishers to reach good quality levels, they are
dismissed out of hand. Some may not have potential and indeed be real
scams, as some of the traditional subscription journals are as well.
But some may have true potential. Especially in open access
publishing, publishers from low-wage countries could help reduce the
cost of publishing. Or rather, the price of publishing, because the
cost of publishing (to the publisher) is already reduced massively by
all those publishers who use Indian, Philippine, Chinese, etc.
editorial and technical services. Few articles are typeset in Europe
or America these days.

In traditional science publishing, newbies from developing countries
had no chance at all. The chances they now have with open access
publishing are subject to grave suspicion or worse. If cost is a
concern of the academic community (rightly or wrongly, many
discussions on open access are more about cost than about openness),
then a more positive attitude towards helping developing countries
develop their low-cost publishing activities might be in order. Once a
reasonable base level of scientific robustness is reached, quality is
as much about perception than about substance. It is symptomatic that
Beall's list does not focus on the quality or scientific robustness of
the articles published by his 'predatory publishers' (especially in
comparison to the quality published by established, presumably
non-predatory publishers), but on the way they market and present
their services.

Jan

****************************

On 9 Aug 2012, at 21:06, LIBLICENSE wrote:

From: Joseph Esposito <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 20:55:07 -0400

Jan,

About the "anglo-linguism," do you see this as a matter of choice or a
function of network effects and the law of increasing returns?

Joe Esposito