Re: Ian Gibson on open access

From: David Goodman <dgoodman_at_Princeton.EDU>
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 01:36:12 -0400

We have failed altogether in persuading researchers to
self-archive in order
 
> - to maximize research impact
> - by maximizing research access

Presumably they are satisfied with the research impact and access they
already have. I may not think this good reasoning, but it has proved
to be the majority view, at least in the biomedical sciences.
If Stevan and the rest of us
have not convinced them by now. we never will:
"Now 'aw is done, that men can do, and aw' is done in vain"

Stevan is probably right that the researchers will not accept
the "secondary" arguments either. Resorting to mandates is an
admission of failure to convince the scientists themselves.
Even if we cannot convince them, we can try to compel them.

But if legislators and funders do compel them, it will be for the
reasons some of us call "secondary," which are primary to most
people who are not professional scentists.
Like it or not, we would be more realistic to
look more carefully and without condescension at the arguments
those other than authors think important.

Dismissing the importance of the "secondary" reasons is the one thing
we can do which will be the most harmful to green OA == or
to OA altogether. There are others too who minimize these arguments:
they're the opponents of OA, who are attentive to what might assist them.
>From their postings, they rejoice when we argue their side of the case.
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0501010613260.20735-100000_at_login.ecs.soton.ac.uk>

Dr. David Goodman
Associate Professor
Palmer School of Library and Information Science
Long Island University
and formerly
Princeton University Library

dgoodman_at_liu.edu
dgoodman_at_princeton.edu

----- Original Message -----
From: guedon <jean.claude.guedon_at_umontreal.ca>
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2006 10:10 am
Subject: Re: Ian Gibson on open access
To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG

> All these are Harnadian assertions, not proofs.
>
> Let me take the points one by one:
>
> 1. I agree with point one if we replace "research-users" simply by
> "users".
>
> 2. I would rephrase this point as follows: "Not all researchers
> will be
> persuaded to self-archive... etc. ; however, some will (and that will
> increase the number of allies). "This comes with the territory" may
> meanthe same thing, but in too ambiguous a fashion to satisfy me;
>
> 3. I would rephrase this point exactly like 2.
>
> 4. Idem.
>
> 5. Idem.
>
> 6. Idem.
>
> I begin to understand what Stevan Harnad's basic mistake is: he
> confusessome ideal-typic notion of the researcher, whatever that
> may be, with
> the variegated behaviour of researchers. perhaps a bit of classic
> socialscience readings, such as Max Weber would help...
>
> OA requires political changes in various kinds of institutions. To
> achieve political change, alliances are needed, not exclusions.
>
> But thank you all the same as it allows to put the differences between
> us at their exact level: as all can see, it would take Stevan Harnad
> very little to agree with me; he would just have to abandon some
> idealized version of "the researcher" and simply accept that they
> form a
> motley crew.
>
> Best,
>
> jc
>
> Le samedi 29 avril 2006 à 05:32 +0100, Stevan Harnad a écrit :
> > See:
> > http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Temp/self-
> archiving_files/Slide0008.gif>
> http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Temp/self-archiving_files/Slide0009.gif
> >
> > Slide 8:
> >
> > The objective of open-access self-archiving (and what will persuade
> > researchers to provide it):
> >
> > - is not to quarrel with, ruin or replace journals,
> publishers or peer
> > review (at all) (Self-archiving is a supplement to, not a
> substitute> for journal publication; it is done for the sake of
> providing access
> > to all would-be research-users worldwide whose institutions
> cannot> afford the publisher's official version.)
> >
> > - nor will researchers be persuaded to self-archive for the sake
> > of providing access to teachers - students - the general public
> > (and yet that will come with the territory...)
> >
> > - nor will researchers be persuaded to self-archive for the sake
> > of providing access to the Developing World (and yet that
> will come
> > with the territory...)
> >
> > - nor will researchers be persuaded to self-archive for the
> sake of
> > providing access to medical information for tax-payers (and
> yet that
> > will come with the territory...)
> >
> > - nor will researchers be persuaded to self-archive for the sake
> > of making all knowledge/information free (and yet some of
> that will
> > come with the territory...)
> >
> > - nor will researchers be persuaded to self-archive for the
> sake of
> > relieving the budgetary problems of libraries (and yet some
> relief> for access needs that exceed the budget will come with
> the territory...)
> >
> > Slide 9:
> >
> > The objective of open-access (and what will persuade researchers
> to self-archive,
> > and also persuade their institutions and funders to mandate it) is:
> >
> > - to maximize research impact
> >
> > - by maximizing research access
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Stevan Harnad
> >
>
Received on Sun Apr 30 2006 - 06:56:56 BST

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