Comments on: Scientific Publishing Will Change. Will you?

By: Jim Downing

Jim Downing — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:45:08 +0000

10: The problem isn’t with OpenBabel or with InChI specifically, any platform specific code that requires installation would cause the same problems in distribution and installation.

By: Stevan Harnad

Stevan Harnad — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:06:40 +0000

Voir: “Beyond Romary & Armbruster On Institutional Repositories”
http://openaccess.eprints.org/index.php?/archives/606-giud.html

By: Stevan Harnad

Stevan Harnad — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:04:41 +0000

See: “Beyond Romary & Armbruster On Institutional Repositories”
http://openaccess.eprints.org/index.php?/archives/606-guid.html

By: baoilleach

baoilleach — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:25:23 +0000

@pmr: “InChI and OpenBabel cause more installation problems than everything else together.”. I can’t speak for InChI, but I’m not aware of any installation problems with OpenBabel. If you find the installation instructions confusing or that they don’t work, please let us know…

By: pm286

pm286 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:52:33 +0000

@Steve Hitchcock thanks. The point about national is that institutions haven’t and I suspect are not able to manage repositories ion scientific disciplines. Whether the BL can address it I don’t know but we have to have organizations who can pull partners together.

The control of metrics by publishers is very frightening.

By: Steve Hitchcock

Steve Hitchcock — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:43 +0000

Peter, Much as I admire the work of colleagues at the BL, what does it have to do with OA? The BL, as part of the establishment, is too timid for ‘open’, although I think Lynne Brindley is slowly changing that.

On publishers moving to control metrics, yes it’s happening http://info.spotlight.scival.com/

Like you, I look forward to the time when OA is not an issue and just happens, but I’m not sure we’ll get there in five years with this prescription.

Steve

By: pm286

pm286 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:42:30 +0000

@Michael - yes. I’m also concerned about the absurd gearing between research funders and publishers - the latter provide the metrics which drive the former and the metrics are under their control.

By: Michael Nielsen

Michael Nielsen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:15:42 +0000

Thanks for the link, Peter.

Your point about how passive Universities are is interesting. Many seem to simply follow the money, without much independent guiding vision or values. Since funding in most countries is quite centralized, the natural result is homogeneity and lack of innovation; the Universities mostly reflect the vision of the central funding agencies. I guess the flipside is that the big grant agencies are in a position to drive innovation if they wish. In this vein, it’ll be interesting to see what the long-run consequences of the NIH and similar open access policies is.

By: pm286

pm286 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:39:52 +0000

@baoilleach yes we have though I don’t think we’ve had huge amounts of experience. I’m still wary of cross-language distribs - InChI and OpenBabel cause more installation problems than everything else together. Personally I think we have to work towards a BO solution where the algorithms converge and we have offerings for all main platforms.

By: pm286

pm286 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:34:26 +0000

@Glyn I shan’t I’m afraid. It’s a Faustian bargain but since I don’t believe in hell I can live with myself here for a bit.