From: "Jean-Claude Guédon" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 10:21:37 -0500

Why ask the final two questions? Let me reiterate that publishing is
part of the research process, and the research process is very heavily
subsidized. So why not subsidize scientific publishing as well? What
is wrong with subsidies? I just cannot wrap my mind about this issue,
simply because I do not see scientific publishing as a form of
commerce starkly separated from the research process.

I also do not see commerce as the paradigmatic foundation of human
behaviour. Liberal economics and econometrics is not the science of
all human and social sciences, and the very presence of
"externalities" in economic models is the best form of support for my
statement.

The main advantage of freemium is that it diversifies revenue streams,
and it frees the publishing platform from too heavy a dependence upon
subsidies from one source. An equivalent strategy rests on a diversity
of subsidy sources.

The main disadvantages of the Freemium model have been well spelt out
in an earlier message by Anthony Watkinson. It still creates barriers
to re-use and re-mixing. It is better than nothing, but it is not the
ideal solution. From my perspective, it is a transitional strategy at
best.

If the revenue issue is really what is central to some readers of this
list, they should not forget to raise the same question with Open
Edition (http://www.openedition.org). Both Open Edition and OECD raise
the very interesting issue of what is a public platform for
scientific/scholarly publishing.

Jean--Claude Guidon


Le lundi 19 février 2018 à 21:43 -0500, LIBLICENSE a écrit :
From: Rick Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:44:57 +0000

Hi, Toby –

I do think the freemium model is very interesting. I’m not sure it
would work equally well across disciplines—it seems to me like it’s a
model that is most likely to succeed where the subject areas are of

relatively broad interest—but I too would like to see more publishers
try it.

Just to be clear: the revenue stream you guys are realizing through
freemium payments are making any additional subvention from OECD
unnecessary? So the publishing programs are entirely self-sufficient?

Rick

---
Rick Anderson
Assoc. Dean for Collections & Scholarly Communication
Marriott Library, University of Utah
Desk: (801) 587-9989
Cell: (801) 721-1687
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