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April Issue of Learned Publishing
The April 2008 issue of Learned Publishing is now online. It is
full of both practical and thought-provoking articles, with much
of particular interest to learned society publishers, and
articles covering such wide-ranging topics as books, data,
innovation, usage statistics and references.
All articles are free to ALPSP and SSP members and journal
subscribers; editorials, reviews and letters to the Editors, as
well as any articles where the author has taken up the 'ALPSP
Author Choice' OA option, are now free to all. Enjoy your
reading (and if anything stimulates you to respond, don't
hesitate to contact us)!
The recently passed NIH mandate will have a profound effect on
our publishing environment; the Editorial
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288956 - Open Access)
examines what it will mean.
ISI citation data can be both a blessing and a curse. The lead
article, by Jim Pringle of ISI
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288901), gives a helpful
overview of what ISI data can and can't tell us, and warns
against their misuse in evaluation of both departments and
individuals.
Tarja Koskinen-Olson, the Hon. President of the International
Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations, outlines the
crucial role of licensing in providing wide access to knowledge
in the digital era (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288866).
Evelyn Jabri (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288875) of the
American Chemical Society gives a fascinating account, based on
the ACS's own research, of what academic chemists actually do,
and the role that published information plays in their day-to-day
work.
We may have heard of link resolvers, but what are they exactly,
and are they relevant to publishers, or just to librarians?
Charlie Rapple, from consultancy Publishing Technology, provides
a clear explanation of what they are, how they work, and what
publishers can (and should) do to improve the efficiency with
which users can access their publications
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288947).
Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress) was set up by scholars, and
has not simply followed the traditional journal publishing path.
Irene Perciali and Aaron Edlin, of describe the innovative way
that bepress has reinterpreted some aspects of the traditional
journal model, with successful results
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288929).
Erik Sandewall challenges our idea of what constitutes
publishing, describing how 'factbases' and 'knowledgebases' can
also be a form of publishing - illustrated with his own
experimental work at the Royal Institute of Technology in
Stockholm - and may, indeed, become the publishing of the future
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288893).
Usage-based pricing is much in the air, but does it work?
Albert Prior and Paul Harwood, of Content Complete, describe a
JISC research project which tested both the acceptability and the
workability of this alternative model
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X248338).
Open Access is increasingly considered to be a workable
alternative publishing model for journals in thoses countries
where publishing is subsidized. Weihong Cheng and Shengli Ren
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288884) have conducted a
thorough study of Open Access journals in China, tracking what
happens to them over time and drawing some conclusions about the
best way forward.
Greg Tananbaum's 'Points of View' piece
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X254485) looks at the
all-important question of Open Data - what it means, why it
matters and what its impact could be.
Lastly, Charles Oppenheim reviews Paul Pedley's book Digital
Copyright (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X289748 - Open
Access).
Sally Morris, Editor-in-Chief (editor@alpsp.org)
Priscilla Markwood, North American Editor (us-editor@alpsp.org)
Sally Morris
Consultant, Morris Associates (Publishing Consultancy)
South House, The Street
Clapham, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 3UU, UK
Email: <sally@morris-assocs.demon.co.uk>