You may find this (related) take from a librarian interesting (apology for cross-posting):
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Frank Conlon <conlon@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
To: H-ASIA@H-NET.MSU.EDU
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 11:05 AM
Subject: H-ASIA: Refereed journal with processing charges - response
H-ASIA
Septebmer 12, 2013
Refereed journal with processing charges - response
(courtesy Robert Moore)
**********************************************************************
From: Robert Moore <RMoore@Rollins.edu>
I post here some comments from our librarian, Jonathan Miller,
in response to Ted Bestor's post:
I am glad to see this being discussed. It is a huge topic, not particularly conducive to a short e-mail. But here are some thoughts.
The serials crisis (a huge rise in periodical subscription prices for libraries in an era of relatively stable or falling library budgets) was largely caused by prices of STEM journals published by international commercial publishers. Rising prices did not reflect rising costs, but market power. Journals are not fungible, a library could not swap a cheaper subscription for a more expensive one because each journal, and indeed each article, is unique. Further, libraries subscribed to journals at the request of faculty, but faculty did not feel the pain of increased subscription costs.
This, and the disruptive technologies of the Internet, spawned the Open Access movement, which aims to provide access to the scholarly journal literature at no direct cost to the reader. Obviously, it still costs money to produce that literature, so if the reader (or their agents, libraries) do not pay, who does? There are various answers, but one is that authors pay. This is a reimagining of a traditional aspect of scientific publishing, in which some authors have, for many decades, paid fees to subsidize the production of articles. Some publishers have now realized that, if they can't charge the reader, they might be able to charge the writer.
Author fees have worked well for highly prestigious journals in which authors want to be published, and for authors who are able to finance such fees through grants. If there is not much grant money in a field, or no tradition of using grants for such publication fees, the system doesn't work very well.
Small societies get stuck in this vortex for a few reasons:
* If they contract with a major commercial publisher to produce the journal, they may lose control of subscription prices and thus find that libraries are cancelling subscriptions (and thus reducing the society's readership) without much ability for the society to change course.
* They may get caught in a squeeze as libraries feel forced to cancel niche titles to pay for more prestigious, higher priced, journals.
* They may not be able to keep up with technological change -- from print to digital publication - and thus get cancelled by libraries that are seeing declining use of print journals.
Personally, I think there is a bigger issue here that scholarly societies need to think about. Let's go back to basics. What is the purpose of a scholarly society and its publications? I would argue that societies are institutional expressions of scholarly communities. They seek to ensure ongoing communication (both between scholars and practitioners and over time) within and about their discipline. This is ultimately what a scholarly journal is -- a record of a scholarly conversation in which one sees a discipline develop over time.) A society will probably also have aspects that encourage this conversation amongst contemporaries -- conferences, meetings, etc. In the traditional world of print journals with paid subscriptions societies have often used journal subscriptions from entities outside their scholarly community -- libraries, corporations, interested amateurs, etc. -- to subsidize the other work of the society or to subsidize the subscription cost for members.
When the subscription model breaks down the society is faced with a crisis. How to fund not only the production costs of the journal but also the costs associated with maintaining the scholarly community. At the same time as they face this problem, they also face the same disruptive technologies of the Internet, which are enabling people - including scholars -- to communicate and find and develop a sense of community in new ways (H-Net being a prime example.) These form a double whammy that adds up to an existential crisis for scholarly societies.
I think the question you need to ask is what value does this scholarly society and its publications add and who is prepared to pay? The answers will be multiple and varied, but libraries and readers are likely to be paying a smaller proportion of costs in the future than they have in the past.
I don't know what the answer is but I applaud Dr. Bestor for joining the conversation.
Jonathan
Jonathan Miller
Rollins College
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--
From: kenneth harrow <harrow@msu.edu>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Unilag Journal Of Politics: Call for Papers-Some Clarifications
isn't the problem both a conflict of interest--paying, ultimately, for
the one who reviews your piece--not to mention the appearance of
conflict of interest? surely it could be done another way.
ken
On 9/3/13 11:26 AM, Emeagwali, Gloria (History) wrote:
> This is a reality check, Ikhide. Nothing more than that. We cannot hide our heads in the sand and pretend that
> journals across the globe are not asking for funds. Now do they have checks and balances or not?
> That is the question. If so what are these? What should we do to introduce and maintain
>
> accountability and professionalism in the publication of articles.
>
>
>
> Is it better to pay to publish in a journal at home or one abroad?
> That is another question.
>
>
>
> Should we criminalize a Kenyan or Gambian Journal for
>
> accepting funds to publish, and glorify a British Journal that does the same.
>
>
>
> Should we 'demote' a scholar that published in a local pay-to-publish
>
> Journal and 'promote' one that published in a US pay-to publish Journal.
>
> If so what are the guidelines for the local Promotion and Tenure
>
> committee members?
>
>
>
> Then there are the legal ramifications.I can see lawsuits in the horizon
>
> from those who discern some form of discrimination and unfairness.
>
>
>
> As scholars we have to be aware of the evolving practices in the field -
>
> particularly since publications from all over the world may be included in
>
> the portfolio of a scholar seeking promotion.
>
>
>
> Having said all this, I want to emphasize that Africa Update WILL NOT introduce
>
> pay-to -publish mechanisms as long as I serve in the capacity as Chief Editor.
>
>
>
> Professor Gloria Emeagwali
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of IKHIDE [xokigbo@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 4:18 PM
> To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Unilag Journal Of Politics: Call for Papers-Some Clarifications
>
> It is not particularly helpful to say around here each time we are talking about Africa's issues, that the same issues exist in the West. We know that! Stop being patronizing and condescending. For many years, many of us screamed ourselves hoarse about the travesty that is education in Nigeria. Many were in denial, reading us tired tripe from the screeds of liberal orthodoxy. The chickens have come home to roost. Orisa, if you cannot help us, don't hurt us. This is serious stuff, we are talking about the lives of generations of Nigerian children. Ruined. Who cares what happens elsewhere?
>
> Sometimes you begin to understand why Africa is so messed up. Nonsense.
>
> - Ikhide
>
> On Sep 2, 2013, at 11:36 AM, "Emeagwali, Gloria (History)" <emeagwali@mail.ccsu.edu> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Sadly enough, paying to publish is now a common practice in the sciences
>> in the U.S and UK.
>>
>> I remember a conversation with Prof. Tunde Zack-Williams on this
>>
>> subject, early this year with respect to social science journals.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tunde is more informed on this than I am, so I hope he can
>>
>>
>>
>> give some more info on this.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> GE
>>
>>
>>
>> ..................................................................
>>
>> Publication fees
>> From OpenWetWare
>>
>> Publication fees by journals
>> Scientific journal publication fees in US dollars
>> Journal [http://openwetware.org/skins/common/images/sort_none.gif] <http://openwetware.org/wiki/Publication_fees#> Fee in USD [http://openwetware.org/skins/common/images/sort_none.gif] <http://openwetware.org/wiki/Publication_fees#> Comment [http://openwetware.org/skins/common/images/sort_none.gif] <http://openwetware.org/wiki/Publication_fees#> Source [http://openwetware.org/skins/common/images/sort_none.gif] <http://openwetware.org/wiki/Publication_fees#>
>> BMC Biochemistry (BioMed Central) 1485 open access [1]<http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcbiochem/ifora/#h1general>
>> BMC Biology (BioMed Central) 1775 open access [2]<http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/authors/apcfaq#howmuch>
>> BMC Medicine (BioMed Central) 1775 open access [3]<http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/authors/apcfaq#howmuch>
>> Genome Biology (BioMed Central) 2065 open access [4]<http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/authors/apcfaq#howmuch>
>> NAR Nucleic Acid Research 2670 open access, cheaper for members [5]<http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/nar/announce_openaccess.html#Publication%20Charges>
>> PLoS Biology 2850 open access [6]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>> PLoS Computational Biology 2220 open access [7]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>> PLoS Genetics 2220 open access [8]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>> PLoS Medicine 2850 open access [9]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>> PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2200 open access [10]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>> PLoS Pathogens 2850 open access [11]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>> PNAS 1700 average costs, paid access estimate of average<http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020105> PNAS<http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/iforc.shtml#charges>
>> PNAS 2900 open access, cheaper if institution has PNAS subscription estimate of average<http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020105> PNAS<http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/iforc.shtml#charges>
>> Nature Communications 0 only with subscription; open access costs extra [12]<http://www.nature.com/ncomms/authors/submit.html#Costs>
>> Nature Communications 3570 open access option; subscription option free [13]<http://www.nature.com/ncomms/authors/submit.html#Costs>
>> PLoS ONE 1300 open access [14]<http://www.plos.org/journals/pubfees.html>
>>
>> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> RNA
>> A publication of the RNA Society
>> Instructions for Contributors: Publication Costs
>>
>> Page charges. To help defray the cost of publication, corresponding authors who are members of the RNA Society will be charged $25 per page;
>>
>> corresponding authors who are not Society members will be charged $50 per page. Authors unable to meet these charges should include a letter
>>
>> of explanation upon acceptance for publication; inability to meet these charges will have no effect on acceptance and publication of submitted papers.
>>
>> Color Charges. Corresponding authors who are members of the RNA Society will be charged $225 for the first sheet of a color figure and $350 for
>>
>> each additional color figure plate. Corresponding authors who are not Society members will be charged $450 for the first color figure and $350 for
>>
>> each additional color figure. Price estimates are supplied upon acceptance of the paper. In cases where the authors cannot cover color art fees,
>>
>> but it is clear the figure must be presented in color, such fees may be waived at the discretion of the Editor. A letter explaining the circumstances should be sent to the Editor.
>>
>> Open Access Fees. For authors who wish to have their work immediately accessible to the entire community (Open Access), RNA Society
>>
>> members will be charged $1500; corresponding authors who are not Society members will be charged $2000.
>>
>> Article Reprints. A link to an Article Reprint order form will be included with the proofs.
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael Afolayan [mafolayan@yahoo.com]
>> Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 10:22 AM
>> To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
>> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Unilag Journal Of Politics: Call for Papers-Some Clarifications
>>
>> One has to be in Nigeria to appreciate the position of the gentleman, Dele Ashiru. While it would be regarded a "no-no" on this side of the Great Divide to elicit money for submitting and publishing a standard academic paper, it would be difficult, it not altogether impossible, to see how a high quality, peer reviewed journal could be produced in Nigeria without the financial support of the authors, whether the journals are "e-" versions or paper copies. Until we have home-grown promoters and financiers of quality higher education culture, these kinds of conditions for submissions and acceptance of academic papers would prevail; they may just need to be controlled and strictly monitored.
>>
>> My two cents . . .
>>
>> Michael O. Afolayan
>> USA
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Olumide Olaniyan <olumydes@yahoo.co.uk>
>> To: "usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
>> Sent: Monday, September 2, 2013 7:44 AM
>> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Unilag Journal Of Politics: Call for Papers-Some Clarifications
>>
>> Hallo Dele Ashiru:
>>
>> Is it possible that this journal is also circulated in e-format for wider audience; your clarification is very important and appreciated.
>>
>> For instance, you may want to sent some of the previous editions via this forum, especially since you got sponsorship and affirmed that it is not for profit.
>>
>> many thanks
>> olumide
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> Let us go ahead. The struggle for a better world never ends - Victor Valle
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Dele Ashiru <ashirudele@yahoo.co.uk>
>> To: "usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
>> Sent: Monday, 2 September 2013, 13:25
>> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Unilag Journal Of Politics: Call for Papers-Some Clarifications
>>
>>
>> I have followed with keen interest the controversy which my initial post on Unilag Journal of Politics: Call for Papers have generated. While I share the sentiments of great many scholars who have reacted to the post about the propriety of "paying" to ventilate research findings, I think it is important to make the following clarifications at least for posterity:
>> 1) The Journal started with a grant from the Ford Foundation to the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos.
>> 2) When the Funds from Ford dried up, the Editors resorted to self help in order to keep the journal alive by asking contributors to pay for assessment and production.
>> 3) The money is often paid to assessors as honourarium to encourage them read and return manuscripts within the stipulated deadline.
>> 4) Ridiculous as this may sound, this is the reality and tragedy of knowledge production and dissemination in Nigeria
>> 5) For the avoidance of doubt, the Journal is not "cash and carry" as insinuated by some commentators. The payment of fee is not a guarantee that the paper will or must be published.
>> 6) Manuscripts are blind peer reviewed by established scholars in the field and their assessment is sacrosanct.
>> 7) Indeed, papers submitted by colleagues in the Department and Faculty have been rejected following assessors comment of 'poor quality' even after the payment of fees.
>> 8) The journal is highly rated as this could be verified from the quality of papers published therein.
>> 9) Finally, flowing from this controversy and in line with some suggestions by those who have reacted to the post, the Editorial team may want to review the question of payment or the modalities of payment and make such public for the benefit of all. This may include a commitment to publish well researched quality papers in the Journal whether the author agrees to pay or not.
>> What must not be lost is that we solicit for scholarly contributions from you all for the survival of the Journal and we are open to suggestions and criticisms.
>> Thank you.
>>
>>
>> 'Dele Ashiru.
>> Department of Political Science,
>> University of Lagos,
>> Lagos,Nigeria.
>> +234-8026274712, +234-8019119573.
>> http//:www.politicalscienceunilag.org
>> http//:www.unilag.edu.ng
>> --
>>
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--
kenneth w. harrow
faculty excellence advocate
professor of english
michigan state university
department of english
619 red cedar road
room C-614 wells hall
east lansing, mi 48824
ph. 517 803 8839
harrow@msu.edu
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