From: Richard Poynder <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2015 14:42:07 +0000

​The 12th Berlin Conference was held in Germany on December 8th and 9th.
​The focus of the conference was on “the transformation of subscription
journals to Open Access, as outlined in a recent white paper by the Max
Planck Digital Library”.



In other words, the conference discussed ways of achieving a mass
“flipping” of subscription-based journals to open access models.



Strangely, Berlin 12 was "by invitation only". This seems odd because
holding OA meetings behind closed doors might seem to go against the
principles of openness and transparency that were outlined in the 2003
Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and
Humanities.



Or is it wrong and/or naïve to think that open access implies openness and
transparency in the decision making and processes involved in making open
access a reality, as well as of research outputs?



Either way, if the strategy of flipping journals becomes the primary means
of achieving open access can we not expect to see non-transparent and
secret processes become the norm, with the costs and details of the
transition taking place outside the purview of the wider OA movement? If
that is right, would it matter?



Some thoughts here:
http://poynder.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/open-access-slips-into-closed-mode.html


Richard Poynder