Institutional Repositories to be vigorously promoted in India!
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. -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
participants (1)
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T. Shahab