The European commission has announced a study of the scientific publication markets in Europe, to report next year.
The study asks three questions:
What are the main changes in Europe?
What and who is driving change and why? If there is any resistance to positive change, what/who is blocking it?
What are the consequences for users (authors, readers, libraries)?
Compare these with those asked by the UK House of Commons Sceince & Technology Committee Inquiry:
What impact do publishers’ current policies on pricing and provision of scientific journals, particularly “big deal schemes”, have on libraries and the teaching and research communities they serve?
What action should Government, academic institutions and publishers be taking to promote a competitive market in scientific publications?
What are the consequences of increasing numbers of open-access journals, for example for the operation of the Research Assessment Exercise and other selection processes? Should the Government support such a trend and, if so, how?
How effectively are the Legal Deposit Libraries making available non-print scientific publications to the research community, and what steps should they be taking in this respect?
What impact will trends in academic journal publishing have on the risks of scientific fraud and malpractice?
