RE: Springer blasts Open Choice criticism-- Concensus

["David Goodman" <David.Goodman@liu.edu>]

Dear Heather,

My figure was not an estimate of costs, but merely an indication of where
I think the general consensus lies based on postings, published articles
and reports, and ignoring statements in newspapers and oral testimony.

I do not consider myself qualified to estimate publishing costs. I do not
have detailed data from a single publisher, let alone the industry as a
whole. For accuracy, I would need not merely detailed but audited data: I
know of none.  My experience and training do not in any case qualify me to
judge publishers' cost accounting, though I am always interested when
publishers present even fragments.

I do consider myself qualified to understand what apparently reliable
public sources say, and summarize and report what I find. That is all that
I did, and all that I am able to do.

To step outside my qualifications for a moment, I would regard any of a
wide range of costs as potentially valid, given the different bases for
the accounting and the different publications. I do not regard the views
of Heather and those of Sally as necessarily incompatible.

Dr. David Goodman
Associate Professor
Palmer School of Library and Information Science
Long Island University
dgoodman@liu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu on behalf of heatherm@eln.bc.ca
Sent: Tue 9/28/2004 8:25 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu; David Goodman; chief-exec@alpsp.org; heatherm@eln.bc.ca
Subject: Re: Springer blasts Open Choice criticism
 
This is in reply to two messages from Sally:

I would like to repeat that the ICAAP cost of $3,000 Cdn ($2,300 U.S.) per
journal helps to set the right frame for discussion about what the right
ballpark costs for journal production might be in the future.  David
Goodman's estimate of $1,500 - $3,000 U.S. for a high-end journal in the
sciences, is a very reasonable estimate of the actual costs of these
journals, as they are produced at present in the U.S.  This, naturally
includes the need to produce both print and electronic, as well as the
authentication control mechanisms that go with non-open access journals.

The ICAAP amount covers more than just the software - which is free - it
also covers technological support costs, conversion, etc.  A higher cost
rate to reflect editing costs might well be justified; let's look at some
options.

[SNIP]

cheers,

Heather Morrison