The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.1109 Saturday, 30 December 2006
[1] From: Gabriel Egan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Monday, 25 Dec 2006 21:13:14 -0000
Subj: Re: SHK 17.1107 Price of Academic Journals
[2] From: Harry Connors <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 28 Dec 2006 01:27:09 +0000
Subj: Re: SHK 17.1107 Price of Academic Journals
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gabriel Egan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Monday, 25 Dec 2006 21:13:14 -0000
Subject: 17.1107 Price of Academic Journals
Comment: Re: SHK 17.1107 Price of Academic Journals
The best response to the spiralling cost of traditional journals is the
Open Access movement, which advocates free publication of research
outcomes on the Internet. The movement is rapidly gaining adherents even
inside governments. In July 2004 of the House of Commons Science and
Technical Committee, part of the United Kingdom government, delivered
its 10th report in which it unequivocally supported Open Access for
scientific, technical, and medical publishing. How such things might
work out in the Arts and Humanities-where most of the research is not
directly funded by a sponsor-is hard to say. To discuss this matter,
there is a panel on Open Access at the Renaissance Society of America
meeting in Miami in March 2007. The meeting programme can be had at
www.rsa.org
The proposal for the panel, with links to further reading on the subject
of Open Access, can be had at
www.GabrielEgan.com/RSA
Gabriel Egan
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Harry Connors <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 28 Dec 2006 01:27:09 +0000
Subject: 17.1107 Price of Academic Journals
Comment: Re: SHK 17.1107 Price of Academic Journals
Frankly, in my opinion, professors are reaping what they have sown.
First, two quick disclaimers. I am not specifically attacking anyone. If
you are guilty, you will know. Also, I am neither a professor nor a
student--at least not a student for a few decades--but my daughter, who
is an English Lit grad student, tells me that nothing has changed since
I was in school.
It is risible for professors to complain about the cost of journals. You
have ignored the complaints of your students about the cost of textbooks
for decades. you persist in choosing more expensive textbooks over less
expensive ones. You insist on the latest editions, thus depriving your
students of the ability to sell their textbooks after the class is over
or the ability to buy used textbooks. Tell the textbook publishers "No!"
They're the same ones who publish the journals you complain of.
Of course, not everyone is to blame. And, Mr. Shevlin is correct when he
notes that the fewer people who subscribe to a journal, the higher the
cost must be. Maybe some of the commercial journals should fail. Would
the loss be that great? If I were a professor I would be heavily pruning
my subscriptions. Certainly, I wouldn't need subscriptions to any
journal carried by my library. And, I would be talking to colleagues
about sharing subscriptions. Refusal to spend the money is the best way
to get the publishers to listen.
Harry Connors
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