Previously I had identified Haworth Press as a role model for enlightened practices for self-archiving authors. Now that they have announced that they are asking authors to transfer copyright even before peer review, in my assessment, Haworth is no longer a role model. Thanks to Charles Bailey for the alert.
There are a great many options for open access for librarians. The Directory of Open Access Journals lists 71 fully open access, peer reviewed LIS journals.
Newer open access journals, such as Partnership: the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research , may not yet be included in DOAJ. We welcome articles for our peer-reviewed sections Theory/Research, Innovations in Practice, and Conference Spotlight. International submissions are welcome. (I am the Editor, Theory/Research).
Some LIS publishers are excellent role models for the green, or self-archiving approach, allowing full green (preprint, postprint, no delay), and allowing authors to retain copyright as well. Examples include the Association of College and Research Libraries, and Charleston Advisor.
With all of these open access options, no librarian needs to select a publisher who insists on copyright transfer before peer review.
The views expressed in this post are mine alone; they do not reflect the opinion or policy of BC Electronic Library Network, Simon Fraser University Library, or any organization named herein.
Why should Haworth require a transfer of copyright at all? Most publishing, with the exception of things like work for hire or franchise tie-in novels, is based on the premise that the author keeps the copyright, but licenses the publisher to publish the work. The contract can stipulate that the grant of this license is for a fixed term, or for an indeterminate time as long as certain conditions are met -- usually, as long as the book is still in print and generally available.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with a transfer of copyright is that publishing houses change hands, change editors, change policies; and if they hold the copyrights on books in their inventory, they can do anything with them until such time as the copyrights expire.
I can't think this is the best possible answer to keeping books in print.
TNH