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STMrespondstoUSScholarlyPublishingRoundtableReportand Recommendations
STMapplaudstheeffortsoftheScholarlyPublishingRoundtable(setuplastyearbytheUSHouseof RepresentativesCommitteeonScienceandTechnologyincollaborationwiththeWhiteHouseOffice ofScienceandTechnologyPolicy[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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Forfurtherinformation,contactMichaelMabe,STM,PramaHouse,267BanburyRoad,OxfordOX27HT,UK tel:+441865339324/fax:+441865339325 emailmailto:mabe@stmassoc.org