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PRESSRELEASE:15January2010
STMrespondstoUSScholarlyPublishingRoundtableReportand
Recommendations
STMapplaudstheeffortsoftheScholarlyPublishingRoundtable(setuplastyearbytheUSHouseof
RepresentativesCommitteeonScienceandTechnologyincollaborationwiththeWhiteHouseOfficeofScienceandTechnologyPolicy[OSTP])inseekingtoestablishbroadstakeholderagreementand
forinvolvingleadingresearchersandincorporatingtheirresearchintheRoundtabledeliberations.
STMsupportsthegeneralprinciplesthattheRoundtablehasgenerated:thecriticalneedforpeer
review,theimportanceofsustainablebusinessmodels,thegoalofwideningaccess,andthemove
toimprovedutilityandinteroperability.WealsostronglysupporttherecommendationthatOSTP
establishapublicadvisorycommitteeonwhichinterestedparties,includingSTMpublishersare
represented.
STMtakesissue,however,withsomeoftheotherrecommendationsandgoalsexpressedinthe
Report.Firstly,whileSTMsupportsUSagenciesinthedevelopmentofpublicaccesspoliciestothe
resultsofresearchfundedbythoseagencies,wedonotagreethatthescholarlyarticlesarisingfrom
publisherinvestmentandvalueaddfallunderthiscategory.Governmentresearchgrantscurrently
coverthecostoftheresearchonly.Governmentresearchgrantsdonotcoverthecostsof
publication.
Secondly,whilewelcomingtheconsultationandcollaborationthathasoccurredwithourindustry,
STMbelievesthegoalofUSagenciesinestablishingaglobalpublishingsystemisredundantand
wastefulandignorestheessentiallyinternationalnatureofSTMpublishing,whichhas,withoutany
governmentassistanceanywhereintheworld,enabledmoreaccesstomorepeoplethanatany
timeinhistory.
Thirdly,ifthereistobenocompensationfortheuseofjournalmediatedcontent,STMsupportsthe
needforembargoperiods.Thereis,however,noevidencewhatsoevertosupportthe
recommendationthatembargoperiodsof0to12monthscouldbeadoptedformanysciences
withoutproblem.STMisleadingathreeyearexperimentpartfundedbytheEuropeanCommission
(thePEERProject)tofindouttheeffectsofvariousembargoperiodsonjournals.Westrongly
encouragesuchanevidencebasedpolicyinvestigationintheUSaswell.
Finally,whileSTMsupportstherecommendationthatthefinalpublishedarticleshouldbegiven
primacy(thesocalledVoRorVersionofRecord)overtheproliferationofotherimperfectearlier
versions,itisthroughthisfinalversionandthecreationandmaintenanceoftheirauthoritative
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journalsthatSTMpublishersprovidesignificantaddedvalue;tomakefinalpublishedarticles
(VoRs)freeimmediatelyuponpublicationmustinvolvesomemechanismoffinancialcompensation.
CommentingontheReport,theChiefExecutiveOfficerofSTM,MichaelMabesaid:
STMmembercompaniespublishthelargestnumberofopenaccessarticlesintheworld.TheyhavetakentheleadindiscussionswithFundingAgenciesregardingtheiraccesspoliciesandmanyhave
madetheirfinalpublishedarticlesavailableimmediatelyundervariousbusinessmodels,including
openaccess.TheRoundtableReportrepresentsagoodfaithefforttomaximisethepublicgoodina
sustainablewaybutstillneedsmoreworktoattainthisloftygoal.
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STMisaninternationalassociationofabout100scientific,technical,medicalandscholarlypublishers,
collectivelyresponsibleformorethan60%oftheglobalannualoutputofresearcharticles,55%oftheactive
researchjournalsandthepublicationoftensofthousandsofprintandelectronicbooks,referenceworksand
databases.WearetheonlyinternationaltradeassociationequallyrepresentingalltypesofSTMpublishers
largeandsmallcompanies,notforprofitorganizations,learnedsocieties,traditional,primary,secondary
publishersandnewentrantstoglobalpublishing.
Contact:
Forfurtherinformation,contactMichaelMabe,STM,PramaHouse,267BanburyRoad,OxfordOX27HT,UK
tel:+441865339324/fax:+441865339325
emailmailto:[email protected]
