Comments on: Accessing Journals from Outside Academia http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/ geology and planetary science. done good. Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:23:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ole http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Ole Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:07:01 +0000 http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/#comment-78 Open online access to scientific (geoscience) journals is indeed a problem. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) lists peer-reviewed scholarly open access journals. The Geology list (with 57 geoscience journals) is at http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=subject&cpid=82 I definitely hope for more free open access in the future - or at least cheaper access. Cheaper online subscriptions without the paper version would also help in certain situations. Open online access to scientific (geoscience) journals is indeed a problem.

The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) lists peer-reviewed scholarly open access journals.

The Geology list (with 57 geoscience journals) is at http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=subject&cpid=82

I definitely hope for more free open access in the future – or at least cheaper access. Cheaper online subscriptions without the paper version would also help in certain situations.

]]> By: Andrew Alden http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Andrew Alden Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:03:31 +0000 http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/#comment-77 Serendipity! Actually I wrote the article a few years ago but blogged it yesterday because I forgot to put it in my newsletter (which went out with a generic machine-inserted link instead). Anyway, I've never had access to all the great journals since I left the USGS umpty-ump years ago. I just miss a lot of articles. I subscribe to Geology, GSA Bulletin, Eos and Annual Reviews Earth and just cadge other stuff here and there. Hence my article. As a journalist I can get advance PDFs, but there's too many of them. Basically I don't try to emulate the press; it's a fight I can't win. Besides, most of the research in Nature and Science that gets big press is actually old news or incremental advances. Anyway, do try the department library and also cultivate your contacts in your favorite fields--the friendosphere, I suppose it is. And the company you work for surely gets some journals. But my big tip is to prowl the meeting abstracts, and write to the authors of the cool stuff. Online abstracts are the cat's pajamas. Serendipity! Actually I wrote the article a few years ago but blogged it yesterday because I forgot to put it in my newsletter (which went out with a generic machine-inserted link instead). Anyway, I’ve never had access to all the great journals since I left the USGS umpty-ump years ago. I just miss a lot of articles. I subscribe to Geology, GSA Bulletin, Eos and Annual Reviews Earth and just cadge other stuff here and there. Hence my article. As a journalist I can get advance PDFs, but there’s too many of them. Basically I don’t try to emulate the press; it’s a fight I can’t win. Besides, most of the research in Nature and Science that gets big press is actually old news or incremental advances.

Anyway, do try the department library and also cultivate your contacts in your favorite fields–the friendosphere, I suppose it is. And the company you work for surely gets some journals.

But my big tip is to prowl the meeting abstracts, and write to the authors of the cool stuff. Online abstracts are the cat’s pajamas.

]]> By: Maria http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Maria Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:53:41 +0000 http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/#comment-76 Yeah, I like the free beer at AGU but I think we'd be better off with cheaper page fees/individual article charges (though AGU papers are only $9 a pop)/a license server that actually works (grrr...). Yeah, I like the free beer at AGU but I think we’d be better off with cheaper page fees/individual article charges (though AGU papers are only $9 a pop)/a license server that actually works (grrr…).

]]> By: Ron Schott http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Ron Schott Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:18:16 +0000 http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/#comment-74 The best answer might well be working to change the laws, and failing that, the behavior of authors and publishers. But of course, that won't be a quick solution. Another more practical, though not necessarily quick or reliable, method might be to request copies from the authors directly. Most will be happy to send a reprint, and the enlightened will have a PDF or other electronic form to fire off quickly. I wonder if interlibrary loan would work via a public library? The best answer might well be working to change the laws, and failing that, the behavior of authors and publishers. But of course, that won’t be a quick solution.

Another more practical, though not necessarily quick or reliable, method might be to request copies from the authors directly. Most will be happy to send a reprint, and the enlightened will have a PDF or other electronic form to fire off quickly.

I wonder if interlibrary loan would work via a public library?

]]> By: Chris http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Chris Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:54:47 +0000 http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/#comment-73 <i>AFAIK, AGU runs things backwards from other professional societies, and uses the journals to subsidize the meetings.</i> Well that's positive. But you have to wonder if reducing the individual price of articles might bring them more funding. I still think $30 is excessive. I'll definitely have a question session with my friendly librarian before I properly leave. That's a great suggestion. AFAIK, AGU runs things backwards from other professional societies, and uses the journals to subsidize the meetings.

Well that’s positive. But you have to wonder if reducing the individual price of articles might bring them more funding. I still think $30 is excessive.

I’ll definitely have a question session with my friendly librarian before I properly leave. That’s a great suggestion.

]]> By: Maria http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Maria Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:51:11 +0000 http://www.goodschist.com/2008/02/25/accessing-journals-from-outside-academia/#comment-72 Do any of your institutions' alumni associations offer email accounts with shell access or the ability to run remote X sessions? That might be one way to preserve your old access privileges. I know UC alumni association membership comes with library privileges, but I don't know if that extends to the use of the library proxy server for electronic journal subscriptions or not. Anyway, I would ask a librarian about this before you leave. <i>So far as I’ve been able to tell, research isn’t funded from journal sales.</i> AFAIK, AGU runs things backwards from other professional societies, and uses the journals to subsidize the meetings. Do any of your institutions’ alumni associations offer email accounts with shell access or the ability to run remote X sessions? That might be one way to preserve your old access privileges. I know UC alumni association membership comes with library privileges, but I don’t know if that extends to the use of the library proxy server for electronic journal subscriptions or not.

Anyway, I would ask a librarian about this before you leave.

So far as I’ve been able to tell, research isn’t funded from journal sales.

AFAIK, AGU runs things backwards from other professional societies, and uses the journals to subsidize the meetings.

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