The AAUP Statement on Open Access says nothing more than
what was
already said in this Forum by Sandy Thatcher of AAUP: Some
similar questions arise with monographs.
http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/%7Eharnad/Hyper
mail/Amsci/subject.html#5926
But the primary target of the OA movement is peer-reviewed
journal articles, which are all author give-aways, written
only
for usage and impact, not for fees or royalties.
Not so for all (or even most) monographs.
And a monograph is a much bigger cost and investment for the
publisher than a journal articles.
Hence, though analogies there may be, on no account should
the
straightforward momentum of OA self-archiving (of articles)
be
held back by linking it with the complicated question of OA
monographs.
And researchers' funders and employers can and should (and
will)
mandate the OA self-archiving of all their
fundees'/employees'
articles, but they certainly can't wont' and shouldn't
mandate
that all their fundees'/employees' *books* must be
self-archived!
Stevan Harnad
PS: Let's wait till we have safely mandated 100% Green OA
for all
articles, and then let's worry about books, Gold OA
publishing,
peer-review reform, copyright reform, and all those other
good
things. Let's stop letting them continue to hold OA back
from the
optimal and inevitable.
On Wed, 28 Feb 2007, Sandy Thatcher wrote:
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Contact: Brenna McLaughlin
> 212-989-1010 x24, bmclaughlin aaupnet.org
>
> AAUP RELEASES STATEMENT ON OPEN ACCESS
> Nonprofit Scholarly Publishers Call for Exploration of
Open Access
> Models to Improve Scholarly Communications
>
> NEW YORK (February 27, 2007) - Discussions of the
concept of open
> access to scholarly information are increasingly marked
by highly
> charged rhetoric and an unfortunate polarization of
opinion. The
> Association of American University Presses (AAUP)
released a
> statement today outlining the association's perspective
on what
> has become known as open access, and hopes to help
steer the
> debate towards productive solutions that will best
serve the
> entire scholarly community.
>
> Read the complete statement online at:
> ht
tp://aaupnet.org/aboutup/issues/oa/statement.pdf
>
> Until quite recently, the debate has centered on one
type of
> scholarly literature, scientific, technical, and
medical (STM)
> journal articles, and one particular definition,
entirely
> free-to-user, of "open access." AAUP believes
that the
> conversation should expand to address the different
creation and
> distribution needs of scholarly literature in all
fields and
> formats, including monographs, and to consider a
variety of
> models for providing open access-all of which entail
risks and
> benefits to the entire system of scholarly
communications that
> are not yet fully understood.
>
> Knowledge carries costs for its production, and
requires-in
> addition to the scholar's own work-knowledgeable
editorial
> selection and careful vetting, and-regardless of a
final digital
> or print format-quality in copyediting, design,
production, and
> distribution. Many universities and scholarly societies
have made
> significant investments in their presses and in the
professional
> expertise of publishing staffs in order to support the
spread of
> knowledge worldwide. Changing the system of scholarly
> communications requires us to take careful stock of the
costs of
> doing so-not just for presses, but for parent
universities,
> scholarly societies and their members, and all other
universities
> and research institutions that benefit from the
distribution of
> scholarship.
>
> The AAUP recognizes that non-profit scholarly
publishers have an
> obligation to confront the economic, legal,
technological, and
> philosophical challenges to the existing system.
Indeed, while
> proud of their past achievements, university presses
and
> scholarly societies have never been averse to change.
Being
> embedded in the culture of higher education that
values
> experimentation and advances in knowledge, presses have
been open
> to new ways of facilitating scholarly communications.
Many AAUP
> members have begun experimenting with varieties of open
access
> that seek to balance the mission of scholarly exchange
with its
> costs. The AAUP and its member presses welcome the
opportunity to
> participate with all willing partners to expand and
strengthen
> scholarly communications, to serve our mission and to
improve the
> system for all.
>
> The complete statement is online at:
> ht
tp://aaupnet.org/aboutup/issues/oa/statement.pdf
>
> The Association of American University Presses (AAUP)
is a
> membership organization representing 112 not-for-profit
scholarly
> publishers in the United States and an additional 15
> international scholarly publishers. These publishers
are
> affiliated with research universities, scholarly
societies,
> foundations, museums, and other research institutions.
The
> mission of AAUP members is to serve an effective and
creative
> system of scholarly communications and advance the
knowledge of
> all peoples through their publications. The AAUP
assists our
> members' fulfilment of this mission through services
and
> advocacy.
>
> ******************
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