RE: Open Access to Research Is Inevitable, Libraries Are Told

["Nat Gustafson-Sundell" <n-gustafson-sundell@northwestern.edu>]

You're right -- this is stale.  Less expensive management of peer 
review has already been accomplished by OA journals.  The 
operating models of the incumbents will not allow them to get 
there -- some might be so conditioned that they won't even 
believe it is possible -- or will pretend there's something 
different about the results.

We should distinguish whether we are talking about old model peer 
review or new model peer review -- same results achieved within 
different models with vastly different costs.  So when somebody 
imagines a dollar amount for peer review, we should be clear they 
are likely talking about the old model publishers of their 
experience (many of which probably could not take advantage of 
the new model no matter how persuasive the consultant given their 
operating assumptions).

-Nat


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph Esposito
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 5:43 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: Re: Open Access to Research Is Inevitable, Libraries Are Told

This topic has been talked to death on this list.  I wrote about=20
this several years ago in FirstMonday.org:

http://j.mp/aCVZ4s

Briefly, few peer reviewers are paid, but the management of the 
system of peer review is time-consuming and costly.  If anyone 
thinks they can do it for less money than the incumbents do now, 
I suggest you put out a consulting shingle, because organizations 
like Elsevier, Springer, AMA, ACS, etc. will pay handsomely for 
anything that will reduce these expenses.

Having said this, i have no dog in this hunt.  If anyone wants to 
replicate the peer review capabilities of the incumbents AND have 
open access AND have lower costs, go right ahead.

Joe Esposito

On Tue, Feb 23, 2010 at 2:10 PM, Richard Feinman 
<RFeinman@downstate.edu> wrote:

> What is the relation between cost and peer review? I thought 
> peer reviewers are not paid.
>
> Richard David Feinman
> Professor of Cell Biology
> SUNY Downstate Medical Center