Open Access discussion vs. scientific content | Univers

"Chairman Koen Becking has personally been in touch with scientists from Tilburg about giving up editing positions at Elsevier journals. According to Tineke Bennema, spokeswoman for Tilburg University, a number of them have agreed on doing this. Universities are using this tool to put pressure on publisher Elsevier, in the negotiations about new contracts for journal subscriptions. The universities want a Gold Open Access model, but so far Elsevier does not give in. In other cities, executive boards have also been in contact with their scientists. In Nijmegen, where Gerard Meijer is chairman, people were ‘very willing’ to think about giving up their post, according to Vox. Meijer is negotiator with Elsevier and represents all Dutch universities. In an interview with the university magazine in Nijmegen, he says: 'The current system is no good and now we have the chance to change it. We should seize that chance.' The publisher itself, Elsevier, has also sent an e-mail to Dutch scientists. It reads: 'The challenge is that, apart from the Netherlands and the UK, no other country aims for Gold Open Access. […] Therefore, while a transition to Open Access is desirable, it needs to be managed carefully and funded properly as it is not cost-free for the Netherlands.' This is also the opinion of Theo Beckers, emeritus professor at Tilburg University and, until recently, editor in chief of the Elsevier journal Environmental Development. He recently resigned to make way for a younger perspective ..."