Subject: categories: Re: Journal boycott

From: Tom Leinster <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 15:29:08 +0100 (BST)

[Note from moderator: This and one further posting address the issue in
the subject heading. The items from Peter Freyd and Michael Barr were
posted for information, but the subject is not directly relevant.  Please
send replies for T. Leinster and P. Taylor directly to them rather than
the list.]

I'm writing to seek suggestions. 

I'd very much like to sign the boycott letter mentioned in the article
forwarded by Peter Freyd (relevant bits quoted below).  More generally, I'd
prefer to avoid perpetuating the more exploitative aspects of commercial
publication.

But I'm not going to sign the letter just yet.  This is because it seems that
if I commit myself to only publishing in "enlightened" journals then my
options will be severely restricted, to the extent that it might harm my
future job prospects.  Unfortunately, it's a sacrifice I'm not quite willing
to make.

What I'd like to find is that it is actually possible to publish in respected
journals while keeping my papers free to whoever wants them.  So my first
question is: which journals have enlightened policies?  I know about TAC, and
I've seen the list (http://front.math.ucdavis.edu/journals) of journals which
accept submission direct from the electronic archive (and so, presumably, are
happy for the papers they publish to be freely available).  What other
enlightened publications - especially category-theoretic - are there?

Mike Barr's article also mentioned copyright agreements, and I'd be
interested to know of other people's experiences with this.  Which journals
are happy for you to retain copyright of your papers, or for you to modify
the agreement so that you at least retain the right to make your own work
electronically available?  And how exactly do you make these modifications
(e.g. wording)?  Is it perhaps easier just to sign the agreement but post it
electronically anyway, and hope no-one notices?  (I would have imagined
this perfectly safe except for a certain experience of a colleague.)

Well, I'm eager to hear of positive experiences...

Thanks,

Tom Leinster

> Science world in revolt at power of the journal owners 

[...]

> More than 800 British researchers have joined 22,000 others from 161
> countries in a campaign to boycott publishers of scientific journals
> who refuse to make research papers freely available on the internet
> after six months.

[see http://www.publiclibraryofscience.org ]