Thinking about what John and James have just offered, I think we should dig deeper and analyse the structure of the knowledge industry built up around risk, hazards, vulnerability, disasters, humanitarian action, recovery, and -- more generally -- development studies.

Publishers will make the case that they face costs and need to pay staff, etc.  The free on line journals that exist such as Jamba in South Africa do so on grant money (in this case from the Ministry of Eduction in South Africa).

The problem, as I see it, isn't charges either for print or electronic access, but oligopolistic practice by a small number of very large scientific publishers -- Elsevier, Blackwell, Springer...

Just as a campaign for fairness in access to anti-retroviral drugs finally produced concessions by Big Pharma and, indirectly, new sources of funding for so-called Neglected Diseases, a campaign for socially responsible behaviour by Big Puba could do the same, no?

First of all one should demand transparency.  What profits do their make, journal by journal on print and electronic sales and subscriptions?  What costs to they have to cover?  

Then, one needs to pressure them not to charge "whatever the market will bear", but at least to subsidize or provide a sliding scale for downloads coming from internet addresses in countries declared HIPCs ... or something of the sort.

While James' boycott is in some ways attractive, it is impractical because so much experience and knowledge is already gathered in these journal archives and so much of the debate and new data is presented there.  Especially for young scholars, avoidance of such established journals is a hardship because of the criteria upon which they are judged for academic promotion.  

BEN

Ben Wisner [log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
>From: James Lewis <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Jun 12, 2010 8:42 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: open-access journals? (re: Latest issue of Environmental Hazards  (9:2)
>
>No dilemma at all, I would say. Just ignore 
>journals that charge, there are plenty of others.
>
>It is possible to not bear the extortionate 
>charges of Environmental Hazards (and others 
>similar) where the "Free" item just adds to the 
>insult. If Environmental Hazards was ignored and 
>charges weren't paid, contributions not offered 
>and citations not made, would our lives be the 
>lesser ? As we all engage, and share, public 
>advocacy of our chosen interests, whether or not 
>for personal advantage (some of us for no 
>"advantage" at all) -  why selective access for 
>the few ? The hard-copy version of a journal is 
>presumably the costly part so what prevents an 
>open-for-free internet version available to all - 
>whether members of its Editorial Board or not ?
>
>James
>
>
>
>At 19:09 11/06/2010, you wrote:
>>Bit of a dilemma, isn't it? We'd all like journals and journal papers to
>>be open-access, in the interests of knowledge transfer and equity; on the
>>other hand, publishers have to cover their costs (and keep editorial
>>standards up).
>>
>>But ... dollars for a single paper - which is what Environmental Hazards
>>charges on its website - is a bit steep.
>>
>>I've always found that writing to authors direct will get you a free copy
>>of that interesting but absurdly costly paper. Everyone likes to share
>>their own ideas.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>Dr John Twigg
>>Senior Research Associate
>>Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
>>University College London
>>London WC1E 6BT
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > Earthscan is pleased to announce the release of the latest issue of
>> > Environmental Hazards: Human and Policy
>> > 
>> Dimensions<http://www.earthscan.co.uk/JournalsHome/EHAZ/tabid/37213/Default.aspx>
>> > (vol. 9:2).
>> >
>> > Table of Contents:
>> >
>> > Exploring the risks of ineffective water supply and sewage disposal: A
>> > case study of Mexico
>> > 
>> City<http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ehaz/2010/00000009/00000002/art00001>
>> > Author: Sagrario Sosa Rodriguez, Fabiola
>> >
>> > Hazard vulnerability assessment: How well does nature follow our
>> > 
>> rules?<http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ehaz/2010/00000009/00000002/art00002>
>> > Authors: Lein, James K.; Abel, Lyndsey E.
>> >
>> > How near is near? The distance perceptions of residents of a nuclear
>> > emergency planning
>> > 
>> zone<http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ehaz/2010/00000009/00000002/art00003>
>> > Authors: Giordano, Alberto; Anderson, Sharolyn; He, Xueqin
>> >
>> > FREE: Making sense of natural hazard mitigation: Personal, social and
>> > cultural
>> > 
>> influences<http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ehaz/2010/00000009/00000002/art00004>
>> > Authors: Paton, Douglas; Sagala, Saut; Okada, Norio; Jang, Li-Ju; Bürgelt,
>> > Petra T.; Gregg, Chris E.
>> >
>> > Invisible institutions in emergencies: Evacuating the remote Indigenous
>> > community of Warruwi, Northern Territory Australia, from Cyclone
>> > 
>> Monica<http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ehaz/2010/00000009/00000002/art00005>
>> > pp. 197-214(18)
>> > Authors: Veland, Siri; Howitt, Richard; Dominey-Howes, Dale
>> >
>> >
>> > Please feel free to contact the editor, Professor Edmund Penning-Rowsell
>> > ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>), if you
>> > require any further information.
>> >
>>
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>Version: 9.0.829 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2931 
>>- Release Date: 06/11/10 07:35:00