Scientific publishing is a rip-off. We fund the research – it should be free | George Monbiot

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 ]
News tagged with: #alexandra elbakyan #modern era #academic publishing #significant developments #technical term

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Scientific publishing is a rip-off. We fund the research – it should be free | George Monbiot'


FutureBook Live to explore publishing freedom and free speech

Issues around publishing freedom and free speech are to be debated at FutureBook Live, with a panel of industry insiders, including publishers, agents and authors to discuss how today's political climate and the rise of social media has changed what is permissible and possible to publish today.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-22 22:49:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #futurebook live #free speech #publishing freedom #industry insiders #including publishers #political climate


Digiday Research: Reader revenue is the top publisher priority for 2020

Growing direct reader revenue remains the biggest priority for publishers heading into 2020. The post Digiday Research: Reader revenue is the top publisher priority for 2020 appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-22 04:01:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #reader revenue #top publisher


Penguin Press signs latest from George Monbiot

Penguin Press has snapped up the latest book from George Monbiot in a "major deal".  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-16 17:00:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #george monbiot #penguin press #major deal


Digiday Research: Digital publishers still see growth in direct-sold display ads

Of the 135 publishers surveyed by Digiday in a wide-ranging research survey this Fall, more than 50% of publishers reported that direct-sold advertising was a large or very large source of revenue for them. The post Digiday Research: Digital publishers still see growth in direct-sold display ads... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-16 04:01:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #digital publishers


New CUP journal 'takes radical approach' to research publishing

Cambridge University Press is bringing out a new Open Access journal, Experimental Results, “to provide an outlet for standalone research that currently goes unpublished.” Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-17 17:37:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #research publishing #cambridge university press


Publisher accused of 'ripping off' best-selling book on racism

Ben Lindsay’s We Need To Talk About Race has similar cover and title to prizewinning book by Reni Eddo-LodgeThe publisher of a new book about racism in the UK has been accused of “ripping off” Reni Eddo-Lodge’s best-selling polemic Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, after... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-07-18 17:51:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book makes #reni eddo-lodge #longer talking #white people #cover art #heavily influenced #black women #best-selling book


PRH launches free online guide to getting published

Penguin Random House has developed a free online resource on how to get published, offering practical information and inspiration for unpublished writers on the publishing process. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-26 04:08:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #unpublished writers #publishing process #penguin random house


Nalu Scientific awarded $200,000 grant to design affordable research tech

Honolulu-based Nalu Scientific has been awarded a $200,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a camera that could make physics research more affordable for the DOE and individual researchers.  Nalu Scientific plans to commercialize the ultrafast pixel array camera, which would... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2019-06-26 00:54:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lower cost #lulu


Digiday Research: Social platforms are for brand awareness, not traffic, say publishers

Publishers surveyed Digiday this May predominately see social platforms as a way to grow their brand awareness rather than generate referral traffic of revenues. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the three platforms respondents said best helped them achieve those goals. The post Digiday... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-06-10 04:02:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #publishers appeared #social platforms #brand awareness


Digiday Research: Publishers rate YouTube’s revenue potential over other platforms’

Thirty percent of 122 publisher executives surveyed by Digiday said that YouTube is the platform that can provide the most meaningful long-term revenue opportunities for publishers. After YouTube, Facebook and Google AMP were second best, each with 24% of the vote. The post Digiday Research:... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-06-03 04:01:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #revenue potential #google amp


Digiday Research: Facebook still delivers the greatest reach for publisher content

Forty-five percent of 124 publishers surveyed by Digiday said that Facebook provides the greatest reach for unpaid posted content. While few publishers see strong reach from content posted to their pages, engaging content being shared organically by users is driving significant amounts of... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-05-29 04:01:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #publisher content #engaging content


Digiday Research: European publishers still look to Facebook and Instagram to grow abroad

Forty-two percent of 103 publishing executives polled by Digiday this February said Facebook was an effective platform to grow international audiences. The post Digiday Research: European publishers still look to Facebook and Instagram to grow abroad appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #european publishers #grow abroad


George Pell trial: journalists and publishers face court over coverage

Among those facing contempt charges are Nine Entertainment Co, the Age, Macquarie Media and several News Corp publicationsThree dozen journalists and publishers are to face court on Monday over their coverage of Cardinal George Pell’s trial for child sex abuse, with prosecutors seeking fines and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #macquarie media #jail terms


Paywalls block scientific progress. Research should be open to everyone | Jason Schmitt

To democratise scholarly publishing, individual academics need to take actionAcademic and scientific research needs to be accessible to all. The world’s most pressing problems like clean water or food security deserve to have as many people as possible solving their complexities. Yet our current... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #margaret heffernan #associate professor


Digiday Research: GDPR has not reduced programmatic ad revenues for European publishers

Seventy-eight percent of 103 European publishers surveyed by Digiday said their programmatic inventory prices remain unchanged since GDPR. The post Digiday Research: GDPR has not reduced programmatic ad revenues for European publishers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #european publishers


Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! to publish memoir of his and George Michael’s halcyon days

Andrew Ridgeley, one half of the iconic British pop duo Wham! will tell the story of the legendary ’80s group and his friendship with bandmate George Michael in a new memoir. Penguin Random House imprint Dutton will publish "Wham! George & Me" this fall, the publisher said in a news release.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish memoir #george michael #halcyon days #news release


Digiday Research: Chasing revenue, news publishers are producing more evergreen content

Sixty-eight percent of 97 publishers that produce news or time-sensitive stories said they plan to create more evergreen content according to a survey by Digiday this February. The post Digiday Research: Chasing revenue, news publishers are producing more evergreen content appeared first on... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digiday research #news publishers #evergreen content


Industry Notes: SAGE Publishing Makes UK’s Index on Censorship Archive Free

The UK's quarterly 'Index on Censorship' has opened its 45-year archive to free readership, a response to an era of fake news and leadership lies. The post Industry Notes: SAGE Publishing Makes UK’s Index on Censorship Archive Free appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fake news


Facebook Watch has a new program to fund publisher shows starring influencers

Facebook wants to connect publishers and other studio production partners with influencers to make new shows for Facebook Watch. The post Facebook Watch has a new program to fund publisher shows starring influencers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook watch


Facebook is funding more programs catering to local news publishers

Facebook announced over $30 million in grants to organizations trying to help local news publishers. The post Facebook is funding more programs catering to local news publishers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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