Re: UK Select Committee Inquiry into Scientific Publication

From: Albert Henderson <chessNIC_at_COMPUSERVE.COM>
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 07:51:21 -0500

on Tue, 9 Mar 2004 Stevan Harnad <harnad_at_ECS.SOTON.AC.UK> wrote:

> The first phase of the hearings is now over. This phase has been on publishing,
> and has heard evidence from publishers -- both Toll-Access (TA) and Open-Access
> (OA).
>
> The Royal Society's contribution will, I believe, prove to be a bit of
> a historic embarrassment for that venerable institution, the first of
> the scientific journal publishers (along with the French Societe des
> Savans). The RS's testimony is alas rather short-sighted and not very
> well-informed, and repeats many of the familiar canards about OA:

        The comment is inaccurate. Henry Oldenburg was the
        first to publish a scientific journal, a project
        he hoped would return 150 pounds a year. It was not
        until 1752, long after Oldenburg died and long
        after it was proven profitable, that PHILOSOPHICAL
        TRANSACTIONS was taken over by the Royal Society
        which raised its dues by two guineas to cover
        production costs.

        JOURNAL DES SCAVANS, which also started publication
        in 1665, was an organ of both Academie des sciences
        and Academie des inscriptions et Belles lettres.
        Its scope went far beyond science, being managed
        by historians. Despite its association with the
        two academies, JOURNAL DES SCAVANS was first
        published by Jean Cusson, a bookseller, from 1665
        to 1714.

Albert Henderson
Pres., Chess Combination Inc.

Former Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
Contributor HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES. AN ENCYCLOPEDIA (ABC-CLIO 2002)
<70244.1532_at_compuserve.com>
Received on Wed Mar 10 2004 - 12:51:21 GMT