RE: potential positive spiral in transition to open access

[<matt@biomedcentral.com>]

Sally,

Something which seems to be missing from the article cited is a 
comparison with subscription journals. Clearly, there is turnover 
of subscription journals just as there is turnover of open access 
journals. Every year, some number of new subscription journals 
are launched, while a significant number cease publication.

I don't know whether the ratio of the number of launches to the 
number of closures is any different between subscription journals 
vs OA titles, but in principle, that could be measured.

On the other hand, it still wouldn't prove a great deal.

E.g. The fact that a large fraction of internet ecommerce 
startups failed is not an indication that ecommerce is 
unimportant or uneconomic. What's more important is the scale and 
significance of those that succeed. Ditto with OA journals.

Matt

> -----Original Message-----
> [mailto:owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Sally
> Morris (Morris Associates)
> Sent: 29 June 2007 03:24
> To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
> Subject: RE: potential positive spiral in transition to open access
>
> One has only to look at the DOAJ journals to see how many of them
> publish very spasmodically and may even have ceased entirely - I
> and a group of volunteers did an analysis of this last year
> (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315106775122565)
>
> Sally Morris
> Email:  sally@morris-assocs.demon.co.uk