[A2k] A2 Scientific Knowledge and the future role of scholarly societies

[Armbruster, Chris]

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In a new paper I argue that scientific and scholarly societies could and sh=
ould do much more to achieve open access to scientific knowledge:
"As publishers, learned and professional societies have done exceptionally =
well in applying their knowledge networks and tools to produce outstanding =
journals.  They stand to benefit from open access because society publisher=
s are embedded within their specific community, which they serve in a numbe=
r of ways. They are ideally placed to utilise the rise of digital peer prod=
uction (e.g. e-Science, but also the textgrid for the humanities) and globa=
l epistemic networks (researchers sharing a broadly defined research progra=
mme and, for example, sharing pre-prints) to deliver value-adding services =
to a global audience of users. Society publishers may find that institution=
al repositories and, more generally, digital libraries, could become partne=
rs in publishing. If repositories and libraries collect, disseminate and cu=
rate the content, then society publishers may concentrate on providing what=
 they do best: adding value through certification and navigation services".
I go on to outline the technology and economics of internet-based scholarly=
 communication and what the future role for mission-oriented publishers wil=
l be.

Armbruster, Chris "Society publishing, the internet and open access: shifti=
ng mission-orientation from content holding to certification and navigation=
 services?=94 (July 2007).
Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3D997819

Abstract
The internet and the rise of e-Science alter the conditions for scholarly c=
ommunication. In signing declarations against open access mandates, society=
 publishers indicate that they feel most threatened by the emergence of ins=
titutional repositories and the self-archiving mandates that these make pos=
sible. However, I suggest that more attention should be paid to the impact =
of e-Science, the rise of internet-based guild publishers and the entrance =
of players from the new economy.
In the Philosophical Transactions, Henry Oldenbourg in 1665 provided the mo=
del of academic journal publishing, conjoining dissemination and certificat=
ion, and setting up the journal as a register and archive of knowledge clai=
ms. With the internet, however, the time has come to step out of Oldenbourg=
=92s long shadow. Society journals should stop aspiring to such functions a=
s registration and archiving and should shed electronic dissemination, whil=
e enhancing certification and investing in (new) navigation services.

Keywords
Scholarly Communication, Electronic Publishing, Society Publishing, Not-for=
-profit Publishing, Learned Societies, Professional Societies, Open Access,=
 Institutional Repositories, Digital Libraries, Peer Review, Navigation Ser=
vices

Chris Armbruster
http://ssrn.com/author=3D434782

Executive Director
Research Network 1989
http://www.cee-socialscience.net/1989/
chris.armbruster@eui.eu
Max Planck Digital Library
Max Planck Society
http://www.mpdl.mpg.de/



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