Does Scholarly Publishing Have an Innovation Problem?
Is there an entrenched stasis in scholarly communication in which the core elements of the system have not been much moved by the revolutions happening around us?
Equity, Inclusiveness, and Zero Embargo Public Access
Robert Harington considers whether open and public access models, as they have emerged so far, are delivering us to a more inequitable publishing future as we rush towards openness.
Guest Post — The Monograph and the Mission: University of Michigan Pledges $1.2 Million to Fund Open Access Book Publishing
The University of Michigan Press discusses its burgeoning open access monograph program.
Ask the Fellows: SSP 2022 Annual Meeting
We ask the 2022 Society for Scholarly Publishing Fellows to offer their thoughts on this year’s Annual Meeting.
Subscribe to Open (S2O): An Interview Post in Two Parts (Part 2)
Robert Harington interviews a number of experts with a few burning questions on the Subscribe to Open (S2O) model in a two part post, part two appearing here.
Plan S Rights Retention Strategy, Copyright and the Academic Community – Part One
Robert Harington talks to a range of expert stakeholders with differing views about the Plan S Rights Retention Strategy and Creative Commons Licensing. Part 1 of 2 interview posts.
Transformative Agreements, Funders and the Publishing Ecosystem: a Lack of Focus on Equity
Robert Harington argues that funders, be they national, or private, should consider directly funding their field through funding societies and institutions, with a focus on equitable distribution of funds across scholarly communities.
A World Elsewhere: PLOS’s Community Action Publishing Model
Can community-action publishing prove to be a viable alternative to market-based publishing?
Let Authors Choose How to Pay for Peer Review and Publication
Giving authors a choice between submission fees and APCs has numerous benefits
Landscape Analysis: A SPARC Report on the Changing Nature of the Academic Publishing Industry and the Implications for Institutions
The latest report from SPARC is a departure from advocacy and is very well done. Robert Harington discusses key findings from Claudio Aspesi et al., for SPARC – A Landscape Analysis: The Changing Academic Publishing Industry – Implications for Academic Institutions
Openness: An interview with Daniel Hook, CEO of Digital Science
Robert Harington interviews Daniel Hook, CEO of Digital Science, discussing openness and findings from his recent report entitled The Ascent of Open Access.
Plan S: What About Researchers?
In this article, Robert Harington implores Plan S leaders and funders to take researcher needs to heart.
Societies, Mission and Publishing: Why One Size Does Not Fit All
Robert Harington argues that academic societies need to balance mission and business more effectively. There is nothing wrong with developing a mixed publishing economy that best suits a range of communities and types of business.
Plan T: Scrap APCs and Fund Open Access with Submission Fees
Plan S proposes to take a hammer to how we fund peer review and publication. The focus is currently on APCs, but submission fees are overall cheaper for authors, particularly at highly selective journals, and thus warrant serious consideration.
The Core vs. the Crowd — Why Barriers to Entry May Help Restore Trust
A history of the rise of coercive media suggests that raising barriers to entry may be a remedy. Could a business model shift do most of the work for us?