TCA Letters to the Editor
Press Release
Title: Comment on NIH Notice NOT-OD-04-064 Open Access to Taxpayer Funded Research
Date: November 2004
Organization: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Letter:
Dr. Zerhouni:
I am a librarian at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. I am stating my personal opinions on this subject from the perspective of one who encounters the issue daily, and from frustration at the inability to serve the consituency at the University and our very rural state.
I support the concept of public access to scholarly publishing created as a result of public funding. I applaud any progress toward giving the taxpayers better access to papers submitted for publication when the research results from public dollars. The proposed policy goes a long way toward improving the current situation.
There are, however, some specific concerns that I feel need to be addressed. They are:
1) Papers need to be deposited in PubMed Central to facilitate access via open url linking utilities used by libraries. The metadata in linker utilities is not sufficiently developed to deliver links to random open access papers at publisher sites. Authentication of access is limited by title and date or volume via cross-ref, a sharing utility created by publishers.
2) Intellectual property rights need to be retained by the author. However, usage permissions need to be sufficient to allow the content to be used by others, as long as the author gets credit for the work. Publishers only need distribution permissions (not exclusive). In much of the public discussion the term “open access” is being re-defined as “free to read on the web” and that is neither adequate nor accurate.
3) The policy needs to be extended to papers produced by government entities. Even though government scientists do not surrender copyright, the practice of publishers is such that it makes little difference in terms of access. They still limit access to subscribers and charge copyright fees to libraries and citizens, including the research community. The papers need to be deposited in PubMed Central with a “Creative Commons” type license.
4) NLM should not wait on the publisher to release an article to public access. Release should be an NIH policy decision, not a publisher decision.
5) The archiving issue is getting in the way of profitable discussion. PubMed Central should provide access to articles, and it should have actual content in its database, but it does not have to be the only or the official archiving entity. Some publishers prefer other types of archives. One does not have to replace the other. There is a place for both.
6) The peer review process is getting in the way of meaningful discussion. It is irrelevant. The economic model for a journal is not related to the quality of its content or its review process. Actual costs should be included in any economic model.
7) It is a public policy mistake to delay access to the public that paid for research and the US research community, especially if content is released immediately to third world countries that could be our enemies. It is not is the best interest of the country or its citizens. Nor is it fair.
8) Many publishers are already receiving public funds for the actual publishing cost by charging page charges, electronic distribution charges, and graphics charges. In spite of the hardship so loudly declared by some societies, and scholarly publishers, often subscription dollars are used to finance projects not related to the cost of publishing or distributing journal articles. It not appropriate for the State of Oklahoma that pays our subscriptions, to be subsidizing these projects with still more public funds. Nor is it appropriate for them to deny access to get more money. No one wants societies to absorb the cost of publishing. But there should be a limit when it comes to content they should not own. Any policy that allows a delay of public access should be temporary and have a definite expiration date.
Thanks for considering my comments.
Sincerely,
Judith C. Wilkerson, M.L.I.S.
Head of Serials Services
The Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
P.O. Box 26901
Oklahoma City, OK 73190-3046
judy-wilkerson@ouhsc.edu
