Making the most of a challenging year | Elsevier Connect

"Well, 2012 is almost over. Phew! The past 12 months have been newsworthy for Elsevier. And since I’ve been involved with a lot of that news, and it’s an annual time of reflection, I’m often asked what I think about the past year. You might think this is a year I’d like to forget, but it’s quite the opposite. While circumstances have not always been pleasant, they have provided many opportunities for learning and communicating... At Elsevier, were squarely in the HOW camp now. We’re committed to expanding open access to whatever degree and pace authors desire while being economically sustainable. We will continue to play a leadership role in these discussions to help construct sustainable policies and open-access funding mechanisms that work for everyone. After a long period of testing and learning, we’ve concluded that we are indeed in a position to do open access effectively while providing authors the options they have been asking for.  Not all success is based on numbers and policies, however. It is also based on relationships. And here is where 2012 has been particularly special – and admittedly painful. The confluence of a commercial entity working with governments and academics has created tension for more than a decade. That dynamic isn’t new. What has been new is experiencing the depth of that frustration, coupled with people’s ability to express those feelings more through social media. If we had understood those factors better, perhaps we wouldn’t have supported the Research Works Act, the proposed US legislation that stimulated the expression of a good deal of discontent this year. The lesson from RWA was clear. Even when you believe an action is the principled thing to do, and you have the best intentions of serving your community, it may not be the practical thing to do. It certainly wasn’t the popular thing to do, and many of us were pleased when the company decided to change course.  The silver lining from the boycott is that we now have a much better understanding of the way our community of scientists engage, search and find support and information than ever before. We’re more connected and engaged than ever. We have conversations with people we didn’t talk with before – even those with whom we disagree. And we launched this online community of Elsevier Connect to enable us to engage with readers and bring our business to life.  Another silver lining is that we’ve been responsive. We’ve reduced prices and opened archives in the math community, more than doubled our fully open-access journals to 30, increased the number of hybrid titles we publish to 1,500 and added crucial resources to other journal titles to improve service. And there’s more to come in 2013. Think in terms of text mining, OA pricing and license terms, selective gratis access programs and other creative ideas. If you have any ideas you would like us to consider, please share them..."