Open Access News

News from the open access movement


Saturday, December 04, 2004

One view of the pros and cons of OA

Hugh Look, Open access: look both ways before crossing, Serials, November 2004 (accessible only to subscribers, at least so far). Abstract: 'This objective view of the pros and cons of open access explores the situation as it was in early 2004 and considers some of the ethical dilemmas that can both arise as a result of changing business models and lead to the creation of new models. Some interesting theories are examined to demonstrate how easily a destabilizing effect could occur, and the likely impact of this on different communities in the world of scholarly journals is considered. Finally, a realistic view of the various possible future outcomes is given with a cautionary tale, some sound, unbiased advice and even a visit to the planet Magrathea thrown in for good measure.' (Thanks to Charles W. Bailey, Jr.) (PS: This article is based on a presentation at the March 2004 UKSG conference. While the article is not free online, the presentation is.)