We recently decided to try a paper on Biomed Central. I'm not sure whether they do books and book chapters, but the papers there are online only, peer reviewed, archived, listed on Pubmed with a link, and the author retains the copyright. Better yet the publication is free to anyone with internet access. The charge to the author(s) is $500 but if your institution subscribes (supports) then I believe the charge is waived. Like page charges, if you can provide sound reasons why you can't pay, then there is the possibility that the fee will be waived. It is too early to tell how successful this particular effort will be, but the paradigm seems right. Not only is this paper more accessable than it would have been through any other vehicle open to us, but we could include as many color figures as we liked, and I can put the pdf version in course material without asking anyone for permission (that alone sells me on the concept). Overall, the publication process wasn't flawless, but it was the most pleasant process I have engaged in - online submission, online reviews, resubmission online, immediate availability (hours) to the public of the manuscript after acceptance, a decent looking final pdf, a Pubmed link. A couple days after publication, a post doc application came in that mentioned the paper (anecdote and not evidence, but my enthusiasm went up a notch anyway). I agree with Bob Leif that ISAC shouldn't give up the revenue stream if we can help it, but the history cites many dead cultures that couldn't adapt to a changing environment - I don't want ISAC to join them. The revenue has to come from value added at this point, I think. -- James W. Jacobberger, PhD Professor, Div. General Medical Sciences Case Western Reserve University, Cancer Center 10900 Euclid Ave.(BUT FOR COURIER SERVICES USE: 2109 Adelbert Rd. Cleveland, OH 44106-4944 ph: 216-368-4645 web site: http://josephine.cwru.edu Tuesday, May 21, 2002, 12:11:24 AM, you wrote: JPR> Ken and Others: JPR> Re: Publishers and contracts JPR> I don't have a perfect solution to hte problems Ken refers to below, but I have JPR> a partial solution. I agree that the publication business is very powerful It is JPR> almost impossible to change a contract and if you ever read the small print JPR> on a contract you would be horrified. Regardless we all sign them. JPR> What I have done a number of times is to pre-publish my images, cartoons JPR> and figures, particularly for book chapters and reviews, seminars and talks JPR> on our Purdue CD-ROM series. As you know, authors retain the copyrights JPR> to their materials by virtue of our CD-ROM publication policy. Then I can JPR> used my material in any other publication and I give "permission" to the other JPR> publication to "reproduce" the material. We even have a form printed on our JPR> website specifically for use in this purpose. Thus the publisher never owns it, JPR> and they cannot reproduce it in any other publication without seekign my JPR> permission. JPR> Since we formally publish our CD-ROMs and give ISBN numbers etc, they JPR> are considered formal publications just like any other publication. So, you JPR> are always welcome to do the same! I even call myself a publisher!!!! JPR> Paul Robinson JPR> Purdue CD-ROMs Publisher JPR> On 17 May 2002, at 15:09, Kenneth Ault wrote: JPR> This topic raises an issue that has bothered me for some time. It seems to JPR> me JPR> that publishers routinely use the native desire of scientists to become JPR> famous, JPR> and the fact that many of us have considerable egos, to take advantage of JPR> us. JPR> They ask us to write articles for books, or to edit books, and pay nothing or a JPR> pittance when they are able to make enough money to make it worthwhile for JPR> themselves. I'm not saying that publishing is anything close to the energy JPR> trading business in terms of profitability, but I do think we are taken JPR> advantage of. JPR> It would be nice (although probably impossible) if the scientific community JPR> could come up with a mechanism to defend ourselves against this kind of JPR> exploitation. Maybe its just my stupidity and poor negotiating ability, but I'd JPR> be interested in the thoughts of others. JPR> Ken Ault JPR> J.Paul Robinson, PhD PH:(765)4940757 JPR> Professor of Immunopharmacology JPR> Professor of Biomedical Engineering JPR> Purdue University FAX:(765)4940517 JPR> EMAIL:jpr@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu JPR> WEB: http://www.cyto.purdue.edu
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