Changing the Structure of Scholarly Publishing:

Open Access, Open Archives, and Author

Self-Archiving

John McDonaldAcquisitions LibrarianElectronic PublishingNovember 18, 2003

Traditional Scholarly PublishingCommercial

Subject based journals, Editorial board, and peer reviewVarying quality, quantity, and influenceTypically high prices

SocietySubject based journals, Editorial board, and peer review High quality, high quantity, and great influenceRange of prices from high to low

UniversityJournals based on the research output of the facultyVarying quality, quantity (especially), and influenceUsually free

Impetus for new models…Electronic publishing advantages

• speed

• location

Increasing Awareness / Ability of Authors to publish

• authors can now produce camera-ready copy for publication

• authors & librarians can now publish scholarly material

Serials Pricing vs. Library Budgets

• inflation of serials rises faster than budget increases

• increased expectations of consumers of information

New Publishing Models

Open Access A publishing model that retains all the structure of

traditional scholarly publishing, except that all or a portion of the content published is available, free of charge, to all readers.   

Open Archives A publishing model that allows authors or their

agents to deposit an article in a digital repository that is available, free of charge, to all readers.   

Author Self-Archiving A publishing model where authors publish their own

research in a common space, that is accessible to all for free, on the Internet.

Open Access

Advantages (over Traditional Publishing)Cost shifted away from the consumer of the informationRetains Editorial and Peer Review ProcessesRetains subject based journal content & printed version

DisadvantagesCost may be shifted to the producer of the informationQuality of the publication is not established/assured

ExamplesPLoS Biology http://www.plosbiology.org

Learned Publishing http://www.alpsp.org/volcont.htm

Open ArchivesAdvantages

Cost shifted away from the consumer of the informationSpeed of publication

Interoperability of systems assists in discoverability

DisadvantagesCost may be shifted to the producer of the informationQuality of the publication is not established/assured

May not retain Editorial and Peer Review ProcessesNo printed version, and may not be subject based aggregationsAt risk for plagiarism, libel, and other quality control issues

Examples

Caltech CODA http://library.caltech.edu/digital/UC eScholarship http://repositories.cdlib.org/escholarship/

Author Self ArchivingAdvantages

Cost shifted away from the consumer of the informationSpeed of publication

DisadvantagesQuality of the publication is not established/assured

May not retain Editorial and Peer Review ProcessesNo printed version, and is not subject aggregatedVersion control problems (preprint/post print/etc.)

ExamplesEugene Garfield http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/

Issues of Viability

New models need to:

satisfy author objectives

satisfy community objectives

satisfy other stakeholders objectives

while minimizing any disadvantages that

are incurred.

Possible outcomes

Open Access

Should satisfy librarians, authors, & consumers

May satisfy Commercial & Society publishers

Disadvantages: continuing funding of the model

Other Issues?

Possible outcomes

Open Archives

Should satisfy librarians & consumers

May satisfy authors

Disadvantages: ensuring quality & content

discovery

Other Issues?

Possible outcomes

Author Self Archiving

May satisfy librarians, authors, & consumers

Disadvantages: discoverability, quality,

version control

Other Issues?

Predictions

A continued mix of scholarly publishing

models,

that are not wholly satisfactory to librarians,

authors, & consumers, or publishers.

Disadvantages: organization, discoverability,

quality assurance, version control, marketing,

and access