April Issue of Learned Publishing

["Sally Morris \(Morris Associates\)" <sally@morris-assocs.demon.co.uk>]

The April 2008 issue of Learned Publishing is now online.  It is 
full of both practical and thought-provoking articles, with much 
of particular interest to learned society publishers, and 
articles covering such wide-ranging topics as books, data, 
innovation, usage statistics and references.

All articles are free to ALPSP and SSP members and journal 
subscribers; editorials, reviews and letters to the Editors, as 
well as any articles where the author has taken up the 'ALPSP 
Author Choice' OA option, are now free to all.  Enjoy your 
reading (and if anything stimulates you to respond, don't 
hesitate to contact us)!

The recently passed NIH mandate will have a profound effect on 
our publishing environment;  the Editorial 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288956 - Open Access) 
examines what it will mean.

ISI citation data can be both a blessing and a curse.  The lead 
article, by Jim Pringle of ISI 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288901), gives a helpful 
overview of what ISI data can and can't tell us, and warns 
against their misuse in evaluation of both departments and 
individuals.

Tarja Koskinen-Olson, the Hon. President of the International 
Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations, outlines the 
crucial role of licensing in providing wide access to knowledge 
in the digital era (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288866).

Evelyn Jabri (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288875) of the 
American Chemical Society gives a fascinating account, based on 
the ACS's own research, of what academic chemists actually do, 
and the role that published information plays in their day-to-day 
work.

We may have heard of link resolvers, but what are they exactly, 
and are they relevant to publishers, or just to librarians? 
Charlie Rapple, from consultancy Publishing Technology, provides 
a clear explanation of what they are, how they work, and what 
publishers can (and should) do to improve the efficiency with 
which users can access their publications 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288947).

Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress) was set up by scholars, and 
has not simply followed the traditional journal publishing path. 
Irene Perciali and Aaron Edlin, of describe the innovative way 
that bepress has reinterpreted some aspects of the traditional 
journal model, with successful results 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288929).

Erik Sandewall challenges our idea of what constitutes 
publishing, describing how 'factbases' and 'knowledgebases' can 
also be a form of publishing - illustrated with his own 
experimental work at the Royal Institute of Technology in 
Stockholm - and may, indeed, become the publishing of the future 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288893).

Usage-based pricing is much in the air, but does it work? 
Albert Prior and Paul Harwood, of Content Complete, describe a 
JISC research project which tested both the acceptability and the 
workability of this alternative model 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X248338).

Open Access is increasingly considered to be a workable 
alternative publishing model for journals in thoses countries 
where publishing is subsidized.  Weihong Cheng and Shengli Ren 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X288884) have conducted a 
thorough study of Open Access journals in China, tracking what 
happens to them over time and drawing some conclusions about the 
best way forward.

Greg Tananbaum's 'Points of View' piece 
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X254485) looks at the 
all-important question of Open Data - what it means, why it 
matters and what its impact could be.

Lastly, Charles Oppenheim reviews Paul Pedley's book Digital 
Copyright (http://dx.doi.org/10.1087/095315108X289748 - Open 
Access).

Sally Morris, Editor-in-Chief (editor@alpsp.org)
Priscilla Markwood, North American Editor (us-editor@alpsp.org)

Sally Morris
Consultant, Morris Associates (Publishing Consultancy)
South House, The Street
Clapham, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 3UU, UK
Email:  <sally@morris-assocs.demon.co.uk>