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.” [log in to unmask] PRINT HEADLINE: 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 ** OpenEdition is now a Facility of Excellence (Equipex) ** ** New email : [log in to unmask] ** CNRS - EHESS - Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) - Université d'Avignon 3, place Victor Hugo, Case n°86, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3 - France Tél : 04 13 55 03 40 Tél. direct : 04 13 55 03 39 Fax : 04 13 55 03 41 Skype : marin.dacos - Gmail video chat : [log in to unmask] Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/marindacos