Nature has been tracking down some emails and conversations between several large scientific publishers and a public relations firm. The publishers include Elsevier and Wiley and before you ask, “So what does this have to do with me, an anthropologist?” Let me remind you that the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, American Journal of Primatology, Journal of Archaeological Science, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology are some of the journals organized by Elsevier, alone.
The author, Jim Giles, summarized the situation in, PR’s ‘pit bull takes on open access”. The emails show us that both parties have been brainstorming an assault to the open access movement. Here’s a paragraph of what they’d like to advertise about open access,
“The consultant advised them to focus on simple messages, such as “Public access equals government censorship”. He hinted that the publishers should attempt to equate traditional publishing models with peer review, and “paint a picture of what the world would look like without peer-reviewed articles”.”
I’ve gone off on a rant over at Anthropology.net, on the impact this as toward understanding science, if anyone cares to read that.
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