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