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

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Springer Nature Acquires TooWrite for Its Writing Researchers

The 'research solutions' division of Springer Nature acquires the TooWrite platform, still in development, for research writers. The post Springer Nature Acquires TooWrite for Its Writing Researchers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-14 18:04:52 UTC ]
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Tor Publishing Group Launches Romance Imprint

Bramble will publish its inaugural title, Jennifer Armentrout's 'Fall of Ruin and Wrath,' in September 2023, with industry veteran Monique Patterson tapped as its v-p and editorial director. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Sales Dropped 6.4% in 2022, AAP Report Finds

Sales from publishers reporting to the AAP's StatShot program were down 6.4% in 2022 compared to 2021. Sales were down in all publishing categories, with print sales off in both trade segments. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Graduate Programs

This year’s highlighted publishing graduate programs demonstrate that cultivating positive change starts in the classroom as they grapple with how best to prepare students for an ever-evolving book business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Graduate Programs 2023

This year’s highlighted publishing graduate programs demonstrate that cultivating positive change starts in the classroom as they grapple with how best to prepare students for an ever-evolving book business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Deal Reached in HarperCollins Strike as Publisher Has Another Bad Quarter

HarperCollins has reached a tentative agreement with its striking union that includes an unspecified increase in minimum salaries. The deal was announced shortly after the publisher reported that sales fell 14% in the quarter ended December 31, and that profits plunged 52%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Striking HarperCollins Workers Reach Tentative Agreement With Publisher

After three months of a strike, the two parties reached a tentative deal that includes wage increases and a one-time bonus. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-10 02:56:17 UTC ]
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Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy will be publishing a book about his 50 favorite songs.

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[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-09 16:20:44 UTC ]
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That long-promised, official Barbra Streisand memoir is finally getting published

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-02-08 20:02:43 UTC ]
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Tracing the Spiritual Power of Publishing: Stephen Prothero

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Barbra Streisand to publish her first memoir

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[ The Guardian | 2023-02-07 16:11:50 UTC ]
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Jack Macrae, Former Holt Editor-in-Chief and Respected Publisher, Dies

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Marketing in ‘Tandem’: Naomi Bacon and Taipei’s Publishers

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-06 14:47:16 UTC ]
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Laura Warrell on Publishing While Black

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[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-06 09:55:20 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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At Cairo Book Fair, Publishers Expand Rights Trade and Marketing

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-02 17:35:34 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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