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unjapanologistHuffPo brings a pile of bizarre with 50 Shades of Grey in Scientific Publication: How Digital Publishing Is Harming Science. A scholar called Douglas Fields argues against open access, mainly by attempting to paint it as a dastardly government takeover of science that will mean the end of rigorous research. I was a little disappointed that he didn't actually call open access communist.
The article is plenty strange and sad in and of itself; anyone who can write with a straight face that "A corporate/government financial alliance is replacing scholarly publication once organized and run by scientists and academics" has a very, very idealistic view of the sort of traditional academic publishing that open access is trying to revolutionize.
And then comes this comparison:
One wonders indeed.
This man lives in a very strange reality. But I love, love, love the idea of equating open access with 50 Shades! It means that advocating for open publication of my research is just like polluting my pure academic environment with BDSM porn. I feel totally all right with conceptualizing my work in that way. Maybe I should make some mugs and t-shirts for other open access-loving fan studies people.
The article is plenty strange and sad in and of itself; anyone who can write with a straight face that "A corporate/government financial alliance is replacing scholarly publication once organized and run by scientists and academics" has a very, very idealistic view of the sort of traditional academic publishing that open access is trying to revolutionize.
And then comes this comparison:
Similar changes are eroding literary publication as direct electronic publication by authors on the Internet has led to erotic and reportedly pornographic works like Fifty Shades of Grey and spinoffs sweeping bestsellers lists for months. The issue is not whether erotica or pornography is or should be popular; rather, one wonders what literary work might have filled those slots on the bestsellers lists if traditional mechanisms of editor-evaluated publication had been applied, which consider more than simply the potential popularity of a work in deciding what to publish.
One wonders indeed.
This man lives in a very strange reality. But I love, love, love the idea of equating open access with 50 Shades! It means that advocating for open publication of my research is just like polluting my pure academic environment with BDSM porn. I feel totally all right with conceptualizing my work in that way. Maybe I should make some mugs and t-shirts for other open access-loving fan studies people.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 05:47 pm (UTC)scream. "REPORTEDLY pornographic." because he wants you to know he'd never read this stuff firsthand, hahahaha omg.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 05:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 06:06 pm (UTC)And that whole "PITY THE BOOK THAT DIDN'T GET PUBLISHED!!!" bullshit? Please.
I'll take one of those t-shirts, please. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 08:56 pm (UTC)How about "Open access is to science what 50 Shades is to literature" for the t-shirts?
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-22 03:37 pm (UTC)Perfect. I'll have a mug, please. I'll probably need all the tea I can get when I
destroy the academixtry to find a good way of making my master's thesis accessible.(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 06:14 pm (UTC)The only people who fear progress are those with a vested interest ($) in things staying in the past. This is quickly becoming my life philosophy, and this guy is just proving me right.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 08:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 09:25 pm (UTC)Come on, guys. Evolve or die.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 06:44 pm (UTC)the gatekeeperssociety!(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 08:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 07:43 pm (UTC)you know, you've gotta stake your position, when the smart folks all have one...
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 09:02 pm (UTC)Maybe we should message Dr. Fields to warn him that some nasty personage is signing his name to stupid articles.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 10:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-21 06:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 07:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 08:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-20 10:12 pm (UTC)This person sounds like one of those people who thinks democracy would work a lot better if only "educated people" were allowed to vote....
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-21 06:30 am (UTC)Start with the idea that open access costs an arm and a leg for scholars who want to get published. This is true for a small number of fields/particular journals, but bollocks outside of those. He might be deliberately ignoring that, but I think he genuinely has no idea because he's never even considered the situation outside of his own field.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-21 12:38 am (UTC)You've got to shut the gate, mate!
You've got to shut the gate!
If there's anything I hate, mate,
It's a flamin' open gate!
SHUT THE GATE!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-21 06:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-21 12:04 pm (UTC)Thank you for sharing!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-21 12:13 pm (UTC)