Recently I
participated in a Brainstroming meet held at INSA, New Delhi on 26/04/2008 with
a view to draft recommendations to be submitted to the GOI for changes in
Copyright Law for scholarly communication in tune with emerging
practices in the new information era.
While it was
generally agreed that research publications coming out of all public funded
researches and projects has to be made available through open access (OA)
initiatives similar to the international practices, the modalities to achieve
this aim drew passioned discussions from various quarters representing different
interest groups, like publishers, advocates, scientista, librarians, etc. It was
agreed that the scientific community should be won over to ths concept
of contributing their peer reviewed reseacrh articles, etc for the
Institutional Archives and Repositories (IR) so that they may get wider
visibility and impact and simulatenously the level of study & research in
the country may get elevated. Different models from the international
practices were also discussed-ranging from Institutional fiats to self mandates
by the scholarly community.
The signed editorial
by Dr. P. Balaram carried in the April 10, 2008 issue of the CURRENT SCIENCE
titled 'Science Journals: Issues of Access', which has called
the open access movement a 'new wind' blowing over the 'turbulent world of
science publishing' generated great interest. Balaram noted that scientific
literature was globally exploding and publishing was an increasingly profitable
enterprise. Large publishing houses
like (the European) Elsevier Science and Springer-Verlag are beginning to
monopolise the world of science journals; a situation that promotes a seller's
market. However there are great pressures on libraries worldwide to 'prune their
subscriptions in the face of mounting costs'. Citing the example from his
experience at IISc, Bangalore, which has probably India's largest holding of
science and engineering journals, Balaram has written that even IISc was
thinking of trimming the library's subscriptions. A current idea floating
at the Institute is that the Journals that the IISc faculty did not publish for
a few years, which were not cited by IISc authors and also did not cite papers
emerging from this Bangalore institution, were listed. This list could save
Rs.10 million (US$250,000) by way of subscriptions.Thus it has been argued that
'the idea of open, institutional archives' has to be 'vigorously promoted in
India'.
Regards.
TANWIR
Libraries inpublished Current Science, India's prominent
fortnightly journal of research, has editorially argued for 'the idea of open,
institutional archives' and called for it to be 'vigorously promoted in India'.
India are facing growpressures on libraries worldwide to 'prune their
subscriptions in the face of mounting costs'.
It said Bangalore's Indian Inspublished Current Science,
India's prominent fortnightly journal of research, has editorially argued for
'the idea of open, institutional archives' and called for it to be 'vigorously
promoted in India'.titute of Science (IISc), probably India's largpublished
Current Science, India's prominent fortnightly journal of research, has
editorially argued for 'the idea of open, institutional archives' and called for
it to be 'vigorously promoted in India'.est holding of science and engineering
journals, was thinking of trimming the library's subscriptions.published Current
Science, India's prominent fortnightly journal of research, has editorially
argued for 'the idea of open, institutional archives' and called for it to be
'vigorously promoted in India'.
Journals that the IISc faculty did not publish for a few
years, which were not cited by IISc authors and also did not cite papers
emerging from this Bangalore institution, were listed. This list could save
Rs.10 million (US$250,000) by way of subscriptions.
ing costs, specially to sometimes maintain both print and
on-line subscriptions and issues related to 'perpetual' electrpressures on
libraries worldwide to 'prune their subscriptions in the face of mounting
costs'.
It said Bangalore's Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
probably India's largest holding of science and engineering journals, was
thinking of trimming the library's subscriptions.
Journals that the IISc faculty did not publish for a few
years, which were not cited by IISc authors and also did not cite papers
emerging from this Bangalore institution, were listed. This list could save
Rs.10 million (US$250,000) by way of subscriptions.
onic access to back-files.