Those who take on the global industry that traps research behind paywalls are heroes, not thievesNever underestimate the power of one determined person. What Carole Cadwalladr has done to Facebook and big data, and Edward Snowden has done to the state security complex, Alexandra Elbakyan has done to the multibillion-dollar industry that traps knowledge behind paywalls. Sci-Hub, her pirate web scraper service, has done more than any government to tackle one of the biggest rip-offs of the modern era: the capture of publicly funded research that should belong to us all. Everyone should be free to learn; knowledge should be disseminated as widely as possible. No one would publicly disagree with these sentiments. Yet governments and universities have allowed the big academic publishers to deny these rights. Academic publishing might sound like an obscure and fusty affair, but it uses one of the most ruthless and profitable business models of any industry.The model was pioneered by the notorious conman Robert Maxwell. He realised that, because scientists need to be informed about all significant developments in their field, every journal that publishes academic papers can establish a monopoly and charge outrageous fees for the transmission of knowledge. He called his discovery “a perpetual financing machine”. He also realised that he could capture other people’s labour and resources for nothing. Governments funded the research published by his company, Pergamon, while... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
Created in 2011, Sci-Hub is the largest free repository of scholarly articles in the world. Or rather, it is the largest shadow library of pirated articles that exists. And its creator, Kazakh researcher Alexandra Elbakyan deserves a Nobel Prize for her work as a modern Robin Hood. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-04 12:32:57 UTC ]
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At issue in Tuesday's discussion from the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and Publishing Perspectives: The world presence of Arabic scholarly work. The post Coming Tuesday: Arabic Voices, Topics in Academic Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-03-05 16:50:44 UTC ]
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Publishing consultant Robert Baensch recommends academic publishing events to watch during the 2020 Frankfurter Buchmesse. The post Robert Baensch’s Frankfurt Event Picks: Academic and Education appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-10-09 22:23:54 UTC ]
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No single event has wiped out more bookselling jobs in the modern era than the Covid-19 pandemic. Few booksellers have any job protections—that is, unless they have a union. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Annette Thomas will take up role at Guardian and Observer parent company in MarchThe former head of one of the world’s largest specialist publishers has been appointed as the new chief executive of Guardian Media Group with a mission to ensure the business can continue to support “world-class... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-01-14 10:32:25 UTC ]
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Is your attention span ravaged by living in our hellscape of a modern era? Good news: 2019 brought us plenty of brilliant short fiction. We polled current and former Electric Lit staff and contributors about their favorite collections of the year, and their picks include debuts, National Book... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-12-11 12:00:00 UTC ]
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In a partnership agreement that could serve as a model for academic publishing, Northern Illinois University Press will become an imprint of Cornell University Press beginning July 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Those who take on the global industry that traps research behind paywalls are heroes, not thievesNever underestimate the power of one determined person. What Carole Cadwalladr has done to Facebook and big data, and Edward Snowden has done to the state security complex, Alexandra Elbakyan has... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Academics share machine-learning research freely. Taxpayers should not have to pay twice to read our findingsBudding authors face a minefield when it comes to publishing their work. For a large fee, as much as $3,000, they can make their work available to anyone who wants to read it. Or they can... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ahead of an Insights Seminar at London Book Fair, SAGE Publishing's Kiren Shoman talks with Copyright Clearance Center's Christopher Kenneally about factors in a digital transformtion of academic publishing. The post SAGE Advice at London Book Fair: When ‘Digital Transformation’ Is an Academic... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian Faber is to publish Collusion, a "gripping, alarming exposé" about the "biggest political scandal of the modern era" in which journalist Luke Harding reveals the true nature of Trump’s decades-long relationship with Russia. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Putting customer needs at the heart of your thinking, and letting that drive the change, and pace of change, in your business is the number one lesson for an academic publisher as it navigates the digital transition, according to Brian A Napack, the newly appointed president and c.e.o. of John... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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According to the 2016 China Statistical Yearbook, China has about 110 university presses and 3,650 research and development institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With nearly 1,000 new titles per year and 16 journals (five of which are in the Science Citation Index), the 33-year-old Zhejiang University Press is a hotbed of activity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Shanghai Jiaotong University hosted a fourth forum of China’s academic publishers last month, however, the consensus among the speakers was that the sector’s “Going Out” strategy is now entering its 2.0 era. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The past three years have been a busy time at GNUP. In 2014, it acquired the Australian company Images Publishing Group, which is known globally for its architecture and design publications, and global network of more than 2,000 architects and publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top-tier Chinese universities—namely Peking University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Tsinghua University, and Zhejiang University—lead the pack in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Welcome to PW's coverage on the Chinese academic publishing segment, which is capitalizing on massive government funding to produce groundbreaking research and publications. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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References to Project 211, Project 985, and C9 frequently crop up during conversations with Chinese universities and university presses. As a matter of fact, Chinese universities are divided into three types: Project 211, Project 985, and ordinary university. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With total sales of 400 million CNY in 2016, ECNUP is the top publishing house in Shanghai, and ranks among China’s top 10 university presses. It is also one of the two oldest university presses in the country, with its 60th anniversary coming up in October. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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