Re: Post Brussels : Elsevier and Australian STM debate 'sprouts'

["Anthony Watkinson" <anthony.watkinson@btopenworld.com>]

I am afraid the free Open Source software does not deliver the 
sort of functionality that the learned bodies many of us work for 
and the editors they appoint are looking for in a highly 
competitive situation. Or at least this is the perception of the 
scholarly individuals all publishers are dependent on.

I have not personally looked into the matter so all I can quote 
is perceptions. Have you yourself Heather actually tried out 
these different systems? I have not seen an analysis of 
electronic manuscript submissions systems since the excellent one 
by Mark Ware.

How many large journals are hosted on Scholarly Exchange? It 
would be good if a library-run and highly successful organisation 
like HighWire could explain to this list why learned bodies come 
to them rather that use these cheap alternatives. After all 
Stanford University Libraries are hardly red-in-tooth-and-claw 
"traditional" publishers - but their services are not cheap.

Both not-for-profit and commercial publishers really do try to 
keep their costs down. They need to do. They are businesses.

They are also in a competitive situation. They compete for the 
best journal editors and the top authors and both these 
categories of academics expect the best support that can be 
provided.

The fact that we are in a sort of arms race may be unpalatable 
and unfortunate but it is a fact.

Anthony

----- Original Message -----
From: "Heather Morrison" <heatherm@eln.bc.ca>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 2:38 AM
Subject: Re: Post Brussels : Elsevier and Australian STM debate 'sprouts'

> Anthony Watkinson says:
>
> heavy technology items like manuscript submission systems have added
> to the editorial costs
> http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/ListArchives/0703/msg00052.html
>
> Perhaps this was true a few years ago - but no longer!  There is now
> free, open source software, such as Open Journal Systems:
> http://pkp.sfu.ca/?q=ojs
>
> Plus, highly affordable hosting and support options, such as the
> services provide by the Scholarly Exchange, who provides a free first
> year and second-year hosting at $750 US per year.  Scholarly Exchange
> also offers a revenue sharing advertising option, which means that
> journals can actually earn revenue from being hosted at Scholarly
> Exchange:
> http://www.scholarlyexchange.org/
>
> Heather Morrison