From: Marin Dacos <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:13:08 +0100

Dear all,

Times Higher Education has published an article titled  "French
scholars say ‘oui’ to open access". Here it is.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/french-scholars-say-oui-to-open-access/2002825.article

We have organized two days ago an open access meeting in Paris
Sorbonne. The auditorium was full of scholars, journals directors,
librarians. For those who can read French, a journalist has reported
this public session :
http://speakingofscience.docteo.net/2013/03/27/open-access-en-shs-lintendance-suivra/
I would like to point out the 2 minutes speach of Pierre Mounier,
deputy director of OpenEdition, explaining why open access is so
important for him, "the last roman", because he was a latinist,
considered as an endangered species. You can listen his improvised
talk during the discussion :
https://soundcloud.com/speaking-of-science/pierre-mounier-cleo-message-open-access
What message wants humanist give to the world? Are we the last
Mohican, or have we a project for the future? Thanks, Pierre, for such
sincerity and clear view of the future!

Best regards,
Marin Dacos

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/french-scholars-say-oui-to-open-access/2002825.article

French scholars say ‘oui’ to open access

28 MARCH 2013 | BY PAUL JUMP

Senior humanities and social science academics come out in support of
move to ‘take knowledge out of silos’

Sixty senior figures from the humanities and social sciences in France
have published a statement in national newspaper Le Monde in support
of open access.

The signatories, who include university presidents, librarians and
journal editors, warn that if the humanities and social sciences were
to opt out of wider moves towards open access they “would become
isolated and ultimately extinct”. The statement, titled “Who Is Afraid
of Open Access?”, was published on 15 March and has received more than
2,000 endorsements on a dedicated website, I love open access.

Its publication follows a statement in February by representatives of
more than 120 journals and 50 publishers - specialising in French
humanities and social sciences - which expressed concern that the
European Commission’s open-access policy for its Horizon 2020 funding
period would stifle subscription income, leading to “the disappearance
of the vast majority of journals published in French”.

The publishers’ statement added that the French government had given
assurances that it did not feel in “any way bound” to adopt the
maximum 12-month “green” embargo length advocated by the Commission.

The academics’ riposte in Le Monde describes the publishers’ fears as
“largely groundless”, noting that a “thorough assessment of the sector
would be required to provide a true cost-benefit analysis” of open
access.

It says open access has the potential to “take knowledge out of silos”
and allow it to play its “pivotal role” in the “collective growth” of
society.

The statement also highlights the success of open access in Latin
America, which it says demonstrates its potential to break the
dominance of English-language journals, enabling a “plurality of
viewpoints, modes of publication, scientific paradigms, and
languages”.

To fear open access is “to commit oneself to a narrow - and, in fact,
erroneous - vision of the future”, it says. “The humanities and social
sciences can be at the forefront of this opening movement precisely
because there is an increasing social demand for their research
results.”

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Article originally published as: French say ‘oui’ to open access (28 March 2013

Marin Dacos - http://www.openedition.org
Director - Centre for Open Electronic Publishing

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