Re: Self-Archiving and Journal Subscriptions: Critique of PRC Study

[Stevan Harnad <harnad@ecs.soton.ac.uk>]

On Mon, 14 May 2007, Peter Banks wrote:

> The possibility approaches zero that journals threatened by Green
> OA will convert to Gold OA

Then if Green ever does make subscriptions unsustainable, titles 
will simply migrate to publishers who *are* willing to convert to 
Gold. But the point is that we will already have 100% OA -- Green 
OA.

> Societies also... train.... scientists and clinicians, 
> award...research grants, creat[e]... public awareness and 
> education programs, and many other activities. To the extent 
> that societies fund such programs through net income from 
> publications, as long as subscriptions are not unduly expensive 
> nor embargoes excessively long, they are serving their 
> constituents and the public optimally.

Now ask the authors of those articles whether they wish to 
subsidise Societies' good works with their own lost research 
usage and impact (or let them the good works find other ways to 
subsidise themselves).

Subscriptions can continue for as long as they are sustainable, 
but not at the price of blocking or embargoing research usage and 
impact. That's what Green OA mandates are meant to remedy.

> Yes, publishing is undergoing rapid transformation....but not 
> in any significant sense toward Gold OA.

I agree. I promote the mandating of Green OA by the research 
community; transforming to Gold OA is up to the publishing 
community.

Stevan Harnad