Scholarly communication is the system through which research and other scholarly writings are created, evaluated for quality, disseminated to the scholarly community, and preserved for future use. One of the fundamental characteristics of scholarly research is that it is created to facilitate inquiry and knowledge. The majority of scholars develop and disseminate their research with little or no expectation of direct financial reward.
More on definitions and background of scholarly communication
Key Issues |
Impact |
Strategies for Change |
Journal prices have increased significantly for almost two decades. Library budgets have not enjoyed similar increases. |
Academic libraries are purchasing fewer journal titles and monographs. |
Educate yourself and others on this topic. Support publishers who have sustainable business models.
More on the economics of publishing
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Electronic content is frequently licensed, rather than purchased. Some primary publishers are aggregating or "bundling" electronic content, offering libraries only pre-determined "all or nothing" packages of journal titles.
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Licensed material is covered by contracts, which often include undesirable limits on use. With bundling, libraries lose the ability to select titles of most value to the local community and could commit larger portions of their budgets to fewer publishers.
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Read license agreements carefully and negotiate to retain important rights and uses. Work with your clientele to determine whether or not bundled packages are of benefit to your campus.
More on licensing and aggregation
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| Mergers and acquisitions between commercial publishers are increasing. |
Mergers and acquisitions typically result in higher journal prices. |
Support advocacy efforts for a new standard of antitrust review.
More on mergers |
| Powerful commercial interests are working to influence national copyright laws. |
The public domain is reduced and fair use is diminished. |
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Faculty and researchers typically sign away all rights to their scholarship in exchange for publication. |
Authors cannot post their articles on their own web sites, distribute copies to peers, or include copies in course packs without permission from publishers. |
Authors negotiate with publishers to "unbundle rights", reaching agreements that accommodate the interests of both parties.
More on author control |
New alternatives for the dissemination of scholarly information are emerging. |
Internet technologies and new business models could increase the reach of scholarly communication. |
Recognize and support open access journals, repositories, and other publisher experiments.
More on new alternatives |