Re: RECENT MANUAL MEASUREMENTS OF OA AND OAA

["Peter Banks" <pbanks@diabetes.org>]

As always, Joe makes some execellent points. Frequently proponents of OA 
attest to the vibrancy of the movement by pointing to quantitative 
statistics like the number of journals in the DOAJ. When I look 
criticially at the journals listed there, however, it's apparent that many 
are published very irregularly or infrequently or publish material of 
extremely limited interest. That is not to say that there are not some 
excellent journals within the DOAJ--clearly there are--but only to suggest 
that the accumulation of marginal OA publications does not prove that the 
movement is at all robust.

I, too, appreciate the honesty and integrity of David Goodman's research. 
He is one of the few OA advocates who bases his support on data rather 
than cheerleading.

Peter Banks
Publisher
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
703/299-2033
FAX 703/683-2890
Email: pbanks@diabetes.org

>>> espositoj@gmail.com 01/17/06 5:53 AM >>>

It may be an unintended consequence, but it is a consequence nonetheless 
that overcounting of Open Access articles may give some people, including 
the publishers of research journals, the notion that OA has a great deal 
of momentum.  This may or may not be true (I think it's not, but I don't 
care to argue the point), but the perception that it is true is causing 
some publishers to move more aggressively into OA "experiments" than they 
might otherwise if they had their facts straight.  The bandwagon effect is 
not particularly pernicious if there truly is a band and it is perched on 
a wagon, but here we have (extending the metaphor until we all scream) OA 
lip-synching.  This is not what academic research is supposed to be about.

David Goodman and his colleagues are to be commended for their work.  I 
agree with David on few points, but I admire the integrity of someone who 
describes himself as an OA "absolutist" and then proceeds to do his 
research the old-fashioned way, with a cold eye and careful attention to 
the data.

Joe Esposito