Asia Times Online :: Revolution in democratizing research

abernard102@gmail.com 2012-08-29

Summary:

“While a democratic wave was sweeping the Arab world, a similar wave was silently sweeping the cerebral world of academic research. Interestingly, the demands in both cases weren't very different. Dr. Tim Gowers, a respected mathematician, did the academic equivalent of what Mohamed Bouazizi did in Tunisia. Dr. Gowers accused ‘for- profit’ STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publishers of profiting by restricting access to scientific research. He pressed for democratizing the process of disseminating scientific research. In addition, he announced his decision to boycott a leading ‘for-profit’ publisher and exhorted his colleagues to follow suit. More than 12000 researchers heeded his call setting off alarm bells in the boardrooms of ‘for-profit’ publishers. Later, when Harvard University, arguably the richest and the most endowed university in the world, claimed it can no longer afford the steep journal prices, the bells started tonging louder.   At stake is tens of billions of dollars and invaluable scientific literature that can impact the word we live in...   The publishers resent being portrayed as greedy gatekeepers who exploit the work of the researchers to fill their own deep pockets. They claim to manage a complex peer review process... and invest in technology and resources required to make a research finding a permanent record of science. They also point to an array of open access journals, where the author - not the reader- pays for an article, in their stable... The issue is global in nature, Asia must watch the developments very closely. Emerging nations in Asia are rapidly growing their research activity. Consequently, demand for high quality research information will continue to increase at a rapid clip. While China recorded a CAGR of 20% in the number of articles published in the first decade of the millennium, India and South Korea were neck and neck at 11% and 12 % respectively. The corresponding figure for much of the western world was 3-4%. Asian nations are not only conducting more research than ever before, but are also consuming more research information than ever before. A look at the real time demand for research articles will shine a spotlight on Asia's appetite for high quality research findings. In these emerging economies, the share of R&D spending as a%age of GDP has doubled from 1% in 2000 to 2% in 2010. With impressive overall underlying GDP growth, the increase in R&D spending is significant in absolute terms. It is important for the Asian policy makers to ensure that the escalating tensions don't derail the progress made... There are no clear heroes or villains in this battle. Each stakeholder has contributed significantly to the advancement of science. But in today's world where barriers to communication and information exchange are being shattered, a business model that relies heavily on controlling access is unlikely to be popular in the long run... Asian policy makers must determine whether the cost and ease of access are impacting research progress. Given the emerging nature of most Asian economies, scholars and institutions may not be able to afford the steepening subscription prices. At the same time, the process of guaranteeing quality must be economically viable for the publishers. A solution is difficult without regional coordination... In the past, the publishers have accepted the economic realities prevailing in Asia and have introduced low priced editions that retail at significantly reduced prices than they do in the west. Taking a cue from here, the Asian nations, as a block, could consider pushing for a similar treatment when it comes to accessing research articles via institution and public libraries...  Another option is for the Asian block to lead a global effort to float a multilateral organization that will promote scientific research, collaboration and dissemination of research outcomes free of the barriers currently being opposed...”

Link:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NH29Ak02.html

From feeds:

Open Access Tracking Project (OATP) » abernard102@gmail.com

Tags:

oa.new oa.business_models oa.publishers oa.policies oa.comment oa.advocacy oa.signatures oa.petitions oa.boycotts oa.elsevier oa.india oa.libraries oa.peer_review oa.costs oa.quality oa.librarians oa.hybrid oa.fees oa.profits oa.recommendations oa.harvard.u oa.budgets oa.china oa.south_korea oa.economics_of oa.economic_impact oa.south oa.asia

Date tagged:

08/29/2012, 19:13

Date published:

08/29/2012, 15:13