USA Africa Dialogue Series - California Takes a Stand for Open Access to Academic Scholarship : Seismic Shifts in Scholarship

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From: Paul Basken, North America editor <paul.basken@timeshighereducation.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2019 at 15:00
Subject: California takes a stand for open access
To: <toyin.adepoju@gmail.com>

Elsevier pushback tops week of industry-academic disconnects

View this email in your browser Good morning, The open-access debate moved from heated rhetoric to cold reality this past week in California, where the 10-campus public university system stood firm against publishing giant Elsevier. After months of negotiations, the University of California system ended its $11 million-a-year contract for Elsevier journals, choosing not to continue paying to read research findings that universities themselves produce. There are still more shoes to drop, including the question of when Elsevier formally cuts off UC's access, and how many of its journals, if any, UC will buy on a case-by-case basis as its scientists feel the pinch. But for now, with UC's 10 campuses producing nearly 10 per cent of total US academic publishing, open-access advocates are celebrating. It wasn't the only industry-academic disconnect of the week. Researchers at Cornell University researching virtual reality technology – in this case, a study of college students learning about phases of the moon – found that the glitzy equipment produces no net gain in learning outcomes. Less surprisingly, though, the Cornell researchers affirmed that students do enjoy using VR technology more than the traditional method of watching a ball on a stick. And higher up the academic food chain, the research chiefs from several leading US and UK universities are conceding difficulties in their own bid for greater industry-academic engagement. Under the leadership of the University of Cambridge, the representatives of top institutions including MIT and Stanford met British colleagues in London seeking ways to boost knowledge transfer between universities and industry. But the primary result was largely an acknowledgement of differences in agendas, timescales and geographical environment that hinder efforts at collaboration between university researchers and their business-world counterparts. – Paul Basken, North America editor paul.basken@timeshighereducation.com  Complete your profile and get 30 days of unlimited access to THE TOP STORIES University of California break with Elsevier tipped to boost 'global revolt' Open-access advocates hope move will create "snowball effect" for others to ditch subscriptions with publisher Virtual reality technology 'does not improve learning outcomes' But research finds students prefer the mode over more traditional teaching methods US-UK alliance to share 'experiments' on research commercialisation New group of eight universities, joined by MIT and Stanford, sees lack of private investment in "niche" university research as a key barrier Holocaust historians suffer antisemitic abuse at conference Protesters allegedly called researchers "dirty Jews" and "traitors" in latest intimidation of scholars who examine Polish role in the Holocaust How to equip graduates for the future Is a broader approach to the university curriculum needed to develop the critical thinking and creativity increasingly sought after by employers? JOBS GET JOBS BY EMAIL SEARCH FOR JOBS IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD GLOBAL HE NEWS University staff back prosecuting students who use essay mills Survey finds support among academics for harsher punishments for students who use contract cheating sites Befuddled by Brexit? Come to us instead, France tells Australian HE Two dozen agreements signed in whirlwind tour Down Under Russian science reforms 'ambitious but unrealistic' Experts question whether new National Science Project will have wide impact beyond creating "a few islands of research excellence" Can I succeed as a working-class academic? Life as an early career researcher is hard, but when you add being working class into the mix, the obstacles are almost insurmountable, writes an anonymous academic OPINION Academia's grey markets offer rich pickings for the untenured Marketisation, precarity and global competition have combined to create a vast market for academic ghostwriting, says an anonymous academic Microaggression and discrimination knocked me out A student's mysterious accusation of racism saw P. K. Newby removed from her course – and another woman lost from the leaky pipeline GET THE FOR ALL YOUR STAFF AND STUDENTS REQUEST A QUOTE Copyright © 2019 THE World Universities Insights Limited, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website www.timeshighereducation.com Our mailing address is: Times Higher Education 26 Red Lion Square London, WC1R 4HQ United Kingdom Add us to your address book You can unsubscribe from this list.

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