Re: Open access and impact factor

[jcg <jean.claude.guedon@umontreal.ca>]

This is perfectly true, but with two provisos:

1. The increase in impact is bound to be greater with open access than
with big deals (especially now that consortia seem to move back from such
deals anyway);

2. The distortions built up by either method do not amount to the same
results:  in one case, they correspond to the marketing strategy of a
profit-seeking organization; in the other case, it corresponds to the
state of growth of the open access movement: nothing guarantees of course
that it will grow evenly in all fields and countries.

Jean-Claude 

On Tue March 16 2004 12:11 am, Rick Anderson wrote:
> > but, one does frequently see usage figures cited in support of
> > big deals.
> >
> > The same distortion applies there as well -- availability promotes usage,
> > which is often touted as an indicator of value.  In both cases, there is
> > a mutually-reinforcing effect.
>
> Absolutely, which brings up kind of a delicious irony: Those who see
> enhanced impact factor as an argument in favor of open access would
> probably have to concede that it also works as an argument for the big
> deal (and vice versa).
>
> -------------
> Rick Anderson
> rickand@unr.edu