[Coral-List] Open Access

[Paul Muir]

Sounds good! Recent improvements in web technology means that an electronic only journal website could be setup relatively cheaply and easily. Many of the traditional mangement tasks associated with submission, review and publishing could be automated so that the overheads could be quite low and easily recouped by a very small fee for subscription or downloading an article.  The main issue I think would be getting acceptance - a group of high profile researchers would need to get behind the idea by submitting and reviewing articles or being on the editorial panel. 
It would be good to give all researchers free or almost free access - for example many independent researchers or those in small institutions or  developing countries cannot afford the costs associated with journal subscription. I think that the current web technology would allow this. 

Dr. Paul Muir
Museum of Tropical Queensland, 
78-104 Flinders St, 
Townsville QLD 4810 Australia. 
ph 07 47 260 642 fax 07 47 212 093  

* if no reply or problems sending try paularwen at gmail.com

-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Juan Federico Urich
Sent: Thursday, 24 April 2008 1:51 AM
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Cc: Diego Rodríguez
Subject: [Coral-List] Some more on Springers Open Access Policy

Hi there Dear listers: Out of a little boldness and some encouragment I want to say that, Springers open access policy is actually a Non Open Access Policy. Consequently, I wonder if its not time or is it not proper to have a similar joint effort, just the same as the one that has sustained well, alive, and productive the coral list (not just due to NOAA´s continued and great support), but also from all of you out there, in order to publish an open access journal on Coral Reefs with the same or higher standards as Springer´s current Coral Reef publication. I accept Springers Policy based upon what it is for them a sound business decision,  nevertheless I have an intuition that probably the time is right for at least one new player to enter the Coral Reef Knowledge market most surely at reduced marginal costs and profiting not just the journal but also the readers and above all the authors... It is simply, sound and fair Capitalism.

Regards to all

Juan
--
MSc. Juan F Urich P
Biólogo
Laboratorio de Biologia Teórica
Instituto de Zoología Tropical
Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Apartado 47058,Caracas 1041A
email: juanurich at gmail.com
Teléfono: 58-212-6051536
cel: 0416-721-4505
Fax: 58-212-6051204
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