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Global Capitalism Globalisation Great Thinkers Habituation of the Nation Hellinistic Philosophy Historical Materialism
Human Freedom Human Rights Humanity Immorality Independent Thinking Industrial Revolution
Pedagogy of Revolution

Flow of Ideas: articles - Open Access


A Capital Friendly Culture for Further EducationA Capital Friendly Culture for Further Education
Academy ChainsAcademy Chains
After the Hillcole GroupAfter the Hillcole Group
Against What We Are WorthAgainst What We Are Worth
Ambassadors of Capital in SchoolsAmbassadors of Capital in Schools
An Educational Mansion House for BusinessAn Educational Mansion House for Business
Apprenticeship and the Use-value Aspect of Labour PowerApprenticeship and the Use-value Aspect of Labour Power
Artistic OutlookArtistic Outlook
Ayers Rocked In His Own UniverseAyers Rocked In His Own Universe
B GenerationB Generation
Bourdieu on CapitalBourdieu on Capital
Bourdieu on Cultural CapitalBourdieu on Cultural Capital
Bourdieu on Social CapitalBourdieu on Social Capital
Brown PFI MonsterBrown PFI Monster
Business Sponsorship of SchoolsBusiness Sponsorship of Schools
Business Takeover of Further EducationBusiness Takeover of Further Education
Cambridge University OccupationCambridge University Occupation
Caught in the Storm of CapitalCaught in the Storm of Capital
Co-payment in Hospitals and SchoolsCo-payment in Hospitals and Schools
Cold Hands and Quarter MoonCold Hands and Quarter Moon
Communitarianism for SchoolsCommunitarianism for Schools
Compulsory Consumption and Uni-NannyCompulsory Consumption and Uni-Nanny
Conforming Schools Conforming KidsConforming Schools Conforming Kids
Copy/South DossierCopy/South Dossier
Creating MonstersCreating Monsters
Creeping Privatisation in Higher EducationCreeping Privatisation in Higher Education
Critical MassCritical Mass
Critical Pedagogy and CapitalismCritical Pedagogy and Capitalism
Critical Space in EducationCritical Space in Education
Delivering E-LearningDelivering E-Learning
Digital Rights ManagementDigital Rights Management
DistillationDistillation
Dorothy L. SayersDorothy L. Sayers
Douglas Kennedy: best-selling novelistDouglas Kennedy: best-selling novelist
E-learning for Free at the BBCE-learning for Free at the BBC
Edison Schools in the UKEdison Schools in the UK
Education and Inspections Bill (2006)Education and Inspections Bill (2006)
Education As Culture MachineEducation As Culture Machine
Education FireworksEducation Fireworks
Education for DebtEducation for Debt
Education IncorporatedEducation Incorporated
Education Markets and Missing ProductsEducation Markets and Missing Products
Education RepetitionEducation Repetition
Education the HSBC WayEducation the HSBC Way
Education White PaperEducation White Paper
Education, Globalisation and the Learning SocietyEducation, Globalisation and the Learning Society
Employers and School LeaversEmployers and School Leavers
Evaluating Different Teaching MethodsEvaluating Different Teaching Methods
Everything Louder Than Everything ElseEverything Louder Than Everything Else
Finance and FearFinance and Fear
Five Endings of DesiresFive Endings of Desires
Foibles, Frolics and PhantasmsFoibles, Frolics and Phantasms
FreedomFreedom
FreewillFreewill
French New Wave CinemaFrench New Wave Cinema
Full Report Ruth Rikowski[a]s  Book Launch for Globalisation, Information and LibrariesFull Report Ruth Rikowski's Book Launch for Globalisation, Information and Libraries
Gender and Spokesperson in Group Work IssuesGender and Spokesperson in Group Work Issues
Global TradingGlobal Trading
Globalisation and Education RevisitedGlobalisation and Education Revisited
Habituation of the NationHabituation of the Nation
Higher Education and Confused Employer SyndromeHigher Education and Confused Employer Syndrome
Hitchcock: classic auteurHitchcock: classic auteur
Human capital, the knowledge economy and businessHuman capital, the knowledge economy and business
In Retro GlideIn Retro Glide
In the Dentist[a]s ChairIn the Dentist's Chair
Kids in the Land of No DreamsKids in the Land of No Dreams
KM CritiqueKM Critique
Lazy Brit KidsLazy Brit Kids
Learning in the Earthworks of CapitalLearning in the Earthworks of Capital
Learning InvestmentsLearning Investments
Learning to the MaxLearning to the Max
Librarianship and Human RightsLibrarianship and Human Rights
Lifelong Learning and the Political Economy of ContainmentLifelong Learning and the Political Economy of Containment
LSBU StrategyLSBU Strategy
Marketisation of the Schools System in EnglandMarketisation of the Schools System in England
Marx and Education RevisitedMarx and Education Revisited
Marx and the Future of the HumanMarx and the Future of the Human
Marxism and Education RevisitedMarxism and Education Revisited
Marxist Educational Theory UnpluggedMarxist Educational Theory Unplugged
Maturity and FreedomMaturity and Freedom
McDonaldization and EducationMcDonaldization and Education
Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michele RobertsMichele Roberts
Miss Allison and Novel WritingMiss Allison and Novel Writing
Moneythought in Higher EducationMoneythought in Higher Education
Mrs Thatcher and Holes in the Kitchen FloorMrs Thatcher and Holes in the Kitchen Floor
Multiculturalism and Faith SchoolsMulticulturalism and Faith Schools
My Tony BlairMy Tony Blair
New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski[a]s Book - Part 1New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski's Book - Part 1
New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski[a]s Book - Part 2New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski's Book - Part 2
New Labour Policy for SchoolsNew Labour Policy for Schools
Nietzsche[a]s SchoolNietzsche's School
Nihilism and Educational ValuesNihilism and Educational Values
No Learner Left UnhassledNo Learner Left Unhassled
Notes on the Confessions of John DenhamNotes on the Confessions of John Denham
On Education for Its Own SakeOn Education for Its Own Sake
On Education StudiesOn Education Studies
On the Capitalisation of Schools in EnglandOn the Capitalisation of Schools in England
On Transhumanism and EducationOn Transhumanism and Education
Open AccessOpen Access
Outsourcing Public ServicesOutsourcing Public Services
Peter Wilby on School PrivatisationPeter Wilby on School Privatisation
Planet of the CapitorgPlanet of the Capitorg
PlatoPlato
Playgound Risks and Handcuffed KidsPlaygound Risks and Handcuffed Kids
Poems by Gregory RikowskiPoems by Gregory Rikowski
Poems by Victor RikowskiPoems by Victor Rikowski
Post-Fordism and SchoolsPost-Fordism and Schools
Post-Fordism in Primary SchoolsPost-Fordism in Primary Schools
Postmodern Dereliction in the Face of Neoliberal Education PolicyPostmodern Dereliction in the Face of Neoliberal Education Policy
PowerPointlessness in Higher EducationPowerPointlessness in Higher Education
Private Schools as CharitiesPrivate Schools as Charities
Privatisation of Schools in EnglandPrivatisation of Schools in England
Privatisation of Student DebtPrivatisation of Student Debt
Races in the Imperial WarRaces in the Imperial War
Readings for Teaching CourseReadings for Teaching Course
Recruitment and Labour PowerRecruitment and Labour Power
Revealed Recruitment Criteria through the Use-value Aspect of Labour-powerRevealed Recruitment Criteria through the Use-value Aspect of Labour-power
Robotic EthicsRobotic Ethics
Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)
Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)
School Fees and the 1944 Education ActSchool Fees and the 1944 Education Act
Schools: Building for BusinessSchools: Building for Business
Science Fiction Films and HorrorScience Fiction Films and Horror
Second Time as FarceSecond Time as Farce
Snowballs and Risk in SchoolsSnowballs and Risk in Schools
Social Contract Theory and Political ObligationsSocial Contract Theory and Political Obligations
Socialism is not DeadSocialism is not Dead
Speed of Life - Part OneSpeed of Life - Part One
Speed of Life - Part TwoSpeed of Life - Part Two
Stroppy Individuals and Oppositional Cultures in SchoolsStroppy Individuals and Oppositional Cultures in Schools
Sustainability Policy at London South Bank UniversitySustainability Policy at London South Bank University
Ten Points on Marx, Class and EducationTen Points on Marx, Class and Education
The Business of Becoming a Business for AcademiesThe Business of Becoming a Business for Academies
The Capitalisation of Schools - Federations and AcademiesThe Capitalisation of Schools - Federations and Academies
The CBI and the Business Takeover of SchoolsThe CBI and the Business Takeover of Schools
The Commodification of EducationThe Commodification of Education
The Education White Paper and the Marketisation of SchoolsThe Education White Paper and the Marketisation of Schools
The Evolution of Federations of SchoolsThe Evolution of Federations of Schools
The Last Parents EveningThe Last Parents Evening
The New Japanisation of SchoolsThe New Japanisation of Schools
The Profit Virus - The Business Takeover of SchoolsThe Profit Virus - The Business Takeover of Schools
The Standards Language-game for Schools in EnglandThe Standards Language-game for Schools in England
The Which Blair ProjectThe Which Blair Project
Three Types of Apprenticeship - Three Forms of MasteryThree Types of Apprenticeship - Three Forms of Mastery
Tony and Caroline BennTony and Caroline Benn
Tony Benn: Letters to GrandchildrenTony Benn: Letters to Grandchildren
TransportTransport
Turney[a]s and PPUTurney's and PPU
Uninspiring TowersUninspiring Towers
Universe of Capital and My SpaceUniverse of Capital and My Space
Universities in a Neoliberal WorldUniversities in a Neoliberal World
Utopia and EducationUtopia and Education
What Can Nietzsche Teach YaWhat Can Nietzsche Teach Ya
When Bullies Roam the SchoolWhen Bullies Roam the School
When the Bowers BreakWhen the Bowers Break
Why Employers Can[a]t Ever Get What They WantWhy Employers Can't Ever Get What They Want
Will Hutton and His E-FossWill Hutton and His E-Foss
Wolf on Marx Without SparksWolf on Marx Without Sparks
Women in World WarsWomen in World Wars






Chandos Book Publishing
Open Access: key strategic technical and economic aspects
Edited by Neil Jacobs
Chandos publishing: Oxford, 2006
ISBN 1 84334 203 0 (pbk); 1 84334 204 9 (hdbk); 243pp

A review article by Ruth Rikowski



This is a very topical book, covering a subject, Open Access that is increasing in importance on almost a daily basis.

The book opens with a Foreword by Ian Gibson, MP, who chaired the 2004 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry ‘Scientific Publications: free for all?’ Gibson says that:

The commercial publishing world has an increasingly harmful monopoly on a number of prestige journals which are essential to disseminating new ideas and research. This monopoly over knowledge has been one factor underlying an increase in the price of subscriptions, leaving some academic libraries with no choice but to cancel subscriptions as they can no longer afford to pay for a full range of journals. (p. xi)

It is this type of situation that has lead to the rapid development of open access.

The book includes contributions from a wide range of different people writing on a variety of aspects on open access. In the opening chapter, Alma Swan, for example, refers to the ‘Serials Crisis’. Swan emphasises how in recent times, it has not been possible for a university or research institute library to purchase subscriptions to every journal and book that would form an ideal collection for the users of that organisation. Therefore, the benefit of the open access movement is that it is:

…dedicated to freeing up research output from the constraints imposed on its dissemination by publisher restrictions and the non-affordability of journals. (p.11)

Meanwhile, Charles Bailey considers the definition of open access. He looks, for example, at the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) which emphasises that literature should be freely accessible online. The BOAI recommends 2 complementary strategies for achieving open access to scholarly journal literature. These are self-archiving and the ability to launch a new generation of journals committed to open access. Bailey notes a number of factors when examining the definition of open access, including the fact that open access works are freely available; secondly, that they are online which means they are digital documents available on the Internet; thirdly that they are scholarly works; fourthly, that authors of these works are not paid for their efforts and fifthly that there are a lot of permitted uses for open access material. Stevan Harnad also examines the definition of open access saying that:

…open access means free Webwide access, immediately and permanently, to the full texts of all 2.5 million articles published annually in the planet’s 24,000 peer-reviewed research journals across all scholarly and scientific disciplines. (p. 73)

Whilst Alma Swan is of the opinion that:

…the term open access is a misnomer – though one we are stuck with – for the issue is about enhancing research dissemination and not, primarily, access. (p. 67)

In regard to self-archiving, specifically, Bailey points out that self-archiving can be achieved in a number of different ways, including the author’s personal website, disciplinary archives, institutional-unit archives and institutional repositories. Approximately, a quarter of all researchers have inserted copies of their articles on their own websites. Arthur Sale says that it is difficult to persuade authors to self-archive, but once they do they find it very beneficial and they do not look back.

The growth in open access is also considered. Andrew Odlyzko points out the fact that it is estimated that the peer-reviewed literature grows by about 2.5 million papers a year, and is published in approximately 25,000 serials. Of these 2.5 million papers, approximately 15% are open access. Also, as Chris Awre says:

…technical advances and the underpinning network have opened up the development of new techniques to support scholarly communication. It is likely that such advances will continue and support future scholarly communication and research through open access and collaboration. (p 62)

Meanwhile, Frederick Friend argues that progress towards open access to UK research reports is slow but steady and that:

The story of open access in the UK is one of initiatives by organisations and individuals to develop the opportunities provided by new technologies, while the benefits from those initiatives have not been realised by a hesitant government influenced by lobbying from vested interests. (p.161)

Whilst Alma Swan emphasises that:

The last couple of years have seen the acceptance of open access as a desirable goal by institutions, research funders, libraries and some publishers, to the point that these parties have taken action towards achieving it. (p.65)

Robert Terry and Robert Kiley consider the Wellcome Trust, which first looked at issues of access to the research literature following concerns raised by the Wellcome Library Advisory Committee in 2001. The Wellcome Trust was the first major UK funding agency to commit to open access. Its reasons are made clear in a ‘position statement’ on its website, where it says that: “The Wellcome Trust has a fundamental interest in ensuring that the availability and accessibility of this material [i.e. journal articles resulting from Trust-funded research] is not adversely affected by the copyright, marketing and distribution strategies used by publishers.”

Colin Steele argues that scholarly publishing is likely to evolve along 2 distinct paths in the future. Firstly, that large multinational commercial publishers will increase their dominance of global science, technology and medicine market, and secondly that a variety of open access initiatives will emerge and become a part of everyday life.

Citations for open access articles are examined in the book. Open access articles receive more citations than non-open access articles. As Colin Steele says:

Open access, apart from the major considerations of increased access and impact, also allows for the provision of enhanced methods of citation analysis, which can also link into performance indicators, both of researchers and institutions. (p.137)

Meanwhile, Leo Waaijers looks at the Digital Academic Repositories (DARE) Programme in the Netherlands, which is working towards a programme whereby institutions control their own intellectual products whilst also having better access to them. Waaijers says that once the DARE programme is completed, “…The Netherlands will have a robust but elementary infrastructure of institutional repositories.” (p.147) Thus, there will no longer be organisational obstacles; instead, the material will be able to be made available far and wide.

Other areas covered in the book include open access and scientific communication (Jean-Claude Guedon), the sustainability of open access (Matthew Cockerill), Internet archiving, creative commons and discussion forums (Peter Suber).

In conclusion, this is a very useful and informative book, and is an area that will need to be considered more and more in the future, I think.

There is a detailed bibliography and an index.

© Copyright, Ruth Rikowski, August 2006



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