PRISM: Something Wicked This Way Comes?

As noted around the science blogosphere, something wicked this way comes. PRISM, or the Partnership for Research Integrity in Science and Medicine (created by the Association of American Publishers), is setting up a strawman argument against Open Access publications, claiming that the tradition of peer review is under attack. Open Access, such as PLOS journals and other initiatives, make it easier for people to have access to the research that they, as taxpayers, implicitly fund. Wouldn't you like to know what you are paying for, and whether it benefits your life? Wouldn't you like scientists to have free and easy access to published results so we can use accumulated knowledge rather than burying it?

PRISM's issue is this: if more and more research is made open access (ie, free) how will traditional publishers make any money? The concern is legitamate, but the hoopla, rhetoric, and obfuscation shown on their website suggests that they would rather bend the facts to create a non-issue (that peer review is under attack) rather than face a more real, but less sympathetic issue (how to keep making money). Their main beef seems to be the nebulous threat of "government interference," specifically that the government would like open access to the research that, ya know, it pays for. GASP.

This is bothersome, because I think that a real conversation could be had between 'old school' publishers and open-access publishers without running to a slick PR firm. It seems that the Association of American Publishers would rather the issue be weighed in the court of mis-informed public opinion rather than in the light of day, where both monetary concerns can be considered along with what is paramount to the scientific endeavor.

Bora at A Blog Around the Clock has the most comprehensive list of opinions on this topic, I suggest you go check it out.

More like this

As you know, blog posts about Open Access - What It Means To Me? are in competition today! I will be posting and updating the links of entries throughout the day (until midnight Eastern) for all to see - if I miss yours, send me the URL of your entry.
Since I work at York University, I'm going to refrain from commenting on this lawsuit. However, as is my practice I'll be creating and maintaining a list of relevant articles and resources here to help me stay current on the matter. I am not attempting to create a comprehensive list.
For various reasons, I've been collecting some resources around open access, open data and scientific and technological innovation in Canada. Since they might be more broadly useful that to just me, I thought I'd share them.
It's been kind of a crazy week for me, so I haven't really had much of a chance to contribute to or even read a lot of the

It's called 'disruptive innovation'. See The Innovator's Dilema, by Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School; one of the best-selling business books of the 1990s.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-1395074-0816840?initialSearch=…

The answer to PRISM's question of how the traditional publishers will make money? They won't and will eventually go out of business unless their finger-in-the-dike rear-guard action succeeds in holding back the flood.

sound like they are following the the movie and CD business
It easier to call in the PR and Lawyers than to change the business model. Now if something could be done about the IEEE standards and the AMA ownership of CPT.....

By john hawkins (not verified) on 28 Aug 2007 #permalink

Yeah paper based publishing is on its way out and these companies are simply fighting it tooth and nail.

Scientific publishing is an odd beast, because those who actually provide the content (scientists), and those who moderate the content (editors), are not paid for doing so. So the companies are merely providing the distribution, printing, and web-hosting. Take distribution and printing out and all of a sudden you have something rather cheap comparatively to run.

By Tim Marzullo (not verified) on 28 Aug 2007 #permalink

We should not halt innovation and progress because of some misplaced nostalgia for archaic methods that have been rendered irrelevant by technological advance.