Archive:Open Access Training/Brainstorming Notes

Taking Action on Open Access - Jan. 13, 2007 - Training/Brainstorming Session

 * Stereotypes & Responses (in Campus Advocacy)
 * "I couldn't make tenure"
 * Tenure-track academics need to publish in the most prestigious journals possible.
 * Response
 * Worth acknowledging the weight placed by tenure committees on established, old-media journals
 * Deal directly with the tenure committee - ask to be on the committee, advocate for proper treatment of Open Access and other new journals (in place of pure "brand name recognition" of old-media journals).
 * Arguments against pure impact factor consideration are easy to find and powerful.
 * Example from Gavin Yamey
 * Article published in PLoS Medicine hurt the impact factor. This article resulted in $100 million grant from USAID, $1 million from Gates foundation, UN mandate, creation of international agencies, and creation of a new journal on tropical diseases.
 * Reason - it was a discussion of prior ideas, an opinion piece. Such papers are rarely cited formally, but Thomson Scientific deemed it "citable". Their criteria for "citability" have not been publically revealed.
 * Discussion between PLoS Medicine and Thomson Scientific revealed that depending on criteria for citability, their impact factor could have been either 3 or 12 - final decision was 8.4, placing the journal in the top 4 or 5 international journals.
 * Rising generation of academics who recognize the importance of mind share, reputation, and influence - already shifting. This can be quite valuable in advancing your career, in fact.
 * Broader issue: Scientists need to realign their values. Sharing is more powerful, more useful - so share.
 * Talk to libraries - what if we could get notices to appear on search pages as to why the full text isn't available, with advocacy for Open Access?
 * Problems: These are systemic responses - what can we do for the individual?
 * Would like to - either doesn't know how, or doesn't have the time
 * No incentive to do this work
 * Response
 * Offer to do some of the grunt work!
 * Research options, help to prepare the paper in proper formats, etc.
 * Note: OpenDOAR (http://www.opendoar.org) is a directory of Open Access repositories (for self-archival approaches)
 * Talk to the libraries!
 * Many are highly staffed with plenty of people who are deeply interested
 * Librarians are our allies - they can help to centralize the resources, refer professors/researchers to volunteer help, and (occasionally) may be eager to help with some of the work!
 * Misinformed as to how open licenses work (knows of them, but doesn't actually understand)
 * Response
 * Correct the misinformation
 * Talking points
 * PLoS's 10 Myths of Open Access
 * Copyrights not owned by author - university, or publisher
 * Response
 * Investigate what the author's rights are
 * Possible tool - Romeo (http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php)
 * Uncomfortable with accessibility by "rest of the world" (outside the field and/or academia)
 * Potential reasons for this: snobbery, fear of misinterpretations, fear of funding cuts (what if findings contradict a special interest?)
 * Responses
 * Snobbery
 * It is not science if it isn't public. This attitude runs counter to the character of science in general.
 * Fear of misinterpretation
 * Reinforce ethical issues.
 * ((Response?))
 * Fear of funding cuts
 * Reinforce ethical issues.
 * ((Response?))
 * Repelled by idea of giving work away for free
 * Response
 * Free availability for articles is already out there. Besides, this is very different from a book - we're talking about material that scholars are not rewarded for anyway.
 * Lack of Open Access journals in my field
 * Response
 * There may be more than you think... Offer to do some research/grunt work to find out.
 * Also - point out the option of self-archival.
 * The people that need the journals are the people who can pay for it anyway.
 * The taxpayers that paid for this are American - so this is "American knowledge".
 * Anecdote - when talking to a Congressperson, "you're talking about making this available to China?... Do you know they spy on us?"