ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 382 / C&RL News ■ June 2003 SC H O LA R LY CO M M U N ICATIO N W idespread a ca d e m ic efforts address the scholarly com m u n icatio n crisis T h e re s u lts o f a survey o f a c a d e m ic in stitu tio n s by Randall Ward, David Michaelis, Robert Murdoch, Brian Roberts, and Julia Blixrud I n t h e fa ll o f 2 0 0 2 , l ib r a r i a n s a t B rig h a m Y o u n g U n iv e rsity ’s (B Y U ) H a ro ld B. L ee L ib ra ry w e r e e x a m i n in g h o w t o b r e a t h e l b a c k into a scholarly c o m m u n ica tio n crisis sym ­ p o s iu m th a t h a d b e e n p o s t p o n e d . A r e s e a rc h p r o je c t w a s p r o p o s e d a n d f u n d e d to e x p lo r e w h a t o t h e r a c a d e m i c in s t it u t io n s a c r o s s th e c o u n tr y h a v e d o n e b y w a y o f h o s tin g sim ila r e v e n ts. T h e p ro je c t w o u ld e x a m in e th e fo rm a t o f form al gatherings a n d their in te n d e d audiences a n d d e te rm in e th e o u tco m e s o f su c h events. T h e library, in c o lla b o ra tio n w ith th e S chol­ arly P u b lish in g a n d A cad e m ic R e so u rc es Coali­ tio n (SPARC), c o n d u c te d a su rv e y to d e te rm in e w h a t efforts (specifically foru m s, sym posia, a n d events) h a v e b e e n h e ld across th e c o untry to a d ­ v an ce a w areness a n d action relative to th e schol­ arly com m unication crisis. Q uantitative a n d quali­ tative d a ta w e re g a th e re d a n d will b e re p o rte d at th e ALA A n n u a l C o n fe re n c e in T o ro n to a n d at o th er venues. J u lia B lix ru d , SPARC a s s is ta n t d i r e c t o r o f p u b lic p ro g ram s, p ro v id e d th e n a m e s a n d c o n ­ t a c t i n f o r m a t io n f o r SPARC m e m b e r i n s t it u ­ tio n s in th e U n ited States a n d C a n ad a . SPARC’s a im is to a ssist in m a k in g sc h o la rly c o m m u n i­ c a tio n m o re a ffo rd a b le a n d a c c e s s ib le as w e ll ife a s to p ro v id e a lte rn a tiv e a v e n u e s fo r th e p u b ­ lic a tio n o f sc h o la rly c o m m u n ic a tio n . R andall W ard, n e w s c ie n c e lib ra rian faculty a t BYU, l e d th is p r o je c t w ith a s s is ta n c e fro m s e v e ra l c o lle a g u e s a n d Ju lia B lixrud. A s u rv e y w a s d e v e l o p e d to a sse ss th e s u c c e s s o f s c h o l­ arly co m m u n ica tio n ev en ts a n d p ro g ra m s s p o n ­ s o r e d b y th e 200 SPARC m e m b e r in stitu tio n s . O v e r t h e n e x t five m o n th s , 170 t e l e p h o n e in ­ te rv ie w s w e r e h e ld , m o s tly w ith h e a d u n iv e r­ sity lib ra ria n s o r th e ir a s s o c ia te lib ra ria n s ( r e ­ c e i v i n g a r e s p o n s e r a te o f 85 p e r c e n t ) . T h e s u rv e y a ls o id e n tifie d c h a ra c te ris tic s a n d b e s t p ra c tic e s a m o n g th e s u rv e y g ro u p . T h e in te r­ v ie w s a v e ra g e d a b o u t 15 m in u te s e ac h . T h e q u e stio n n a ire w a s stru c tu re d in a flo w ­ c h a r t f o r m a t, w i t h t h e firs t q u e s t i o n a s k in g w h e t h e r a n e v e n t h a d b e e n h e ld a t th e in stitu ­ tio n . If th e a n s w e r w a s y e s, a s e t o f q u e s tio n s w a s a s k e d to d e te rm in e th e chara cte ristics a n d s u b s e q u e n t e ffe c ts o f t h e e v e n t. If t h e a n s w e r w a s n o , a s h o r t s e t o f q u e s tio n s w a s a s k e d to d e te rm in e w h e t h e r a n e v e n t o r o th e r activities w e r e p l a n n e d fo r th e fu tu re . E ffo rts w e r e m a d e t o a s k q u e s t i o n s t h a t r e q u ir e d a q u a n tita tiv e a n s w e r ( u s u a lly o n a s c a le o f o n e to se v e n ). T h o s e b e in g s u rv e y e d About the authors Randall K. W ard is science librarian, D avid M ichaelis is research associate, R obert M u rdo ch is assistant university librarian, a n d Brian R ob e rts is process im p ro v e m e n t sp ecia list a t B rig h a m Y oung U niversity, e -m a il: ra nd y_ w ard @ b yu.ed u , djm69@ email.byu.edu, robert_m urdoch@ byu.edu, brian_roberts@ byu.edu, a n d Julia B lixrud is assistant d ire c to r o f pub lic program s fo r SPARC, e-mail: jblix@ arl.org mailto:randy_ward@byu.edu mailto:djm69@email.byu.edu mailto:robert_murdoch@byu.edu mailto:brian_roberts@byu.edu mailto:jblix@arl.org C&RL News ■ June 2003 / 383 w e re also a sk e d a series o f q u e stio n s th at w e re m o re qualitative in n ature, resulting in answ ers th a t w e r e in t h e fo rm o f c o m m e n ts , s u g g e s ­ tions, a n d ob se rv atio n s. S u rv e y re s u lts T h e d a ta will b e a n aly ze d w ith tw o aims: to b e re p o rte d as “p rogress to d a te ” in efforts to solve th e crisis a n d to identify th e b e s t p ractices that h a v e le d to th e g re a te s t p e rc e p tio n o f su c c ess as ju d g ed b y th o se b e in g surveyed. A sum m ary o f th e findings will b e p re s e n te d at th e ACRL/ SPARC F o ru m at th e ALA A n n u a l C o n fe ren c e, Saturday, J u n e 21, 4:30 to 6:00 p .m . T h e re will b e e x te n s iv e a n aly sis o f th e d a ta w ith th e r e ­ sults a n d o b se rv atio n s b e in g p u b lis h e d su b s e ­ quently. S o m e o f th e p re lim in a ry fin d in g s su g g e s t th a t th e s c h o la rly c o m m u n ic a tio n c risis h a s b e e n a d d re s s e d b y libraries so far w ith lim ited success. Early o n there w e re questions o f w h e re to e v e n start, b u t n ow , several years later, th ere a re a n u m b e r o f c o m m o n fe e lin g s r e g a rd in g e d u c a tin g th e fa c u lty to th e issu e s. S o m e o f th e s e c o m m o n p e rc e p tio n s a re listed b elow . • M any libraries re p o rt th at o ne-tim e events w ith o u t f o llo w -u p a re n o t th e b e s t a p p ro a c h . N ot o n ly is e x te n siv e f o llo w -u p n e e d e d , b u t a fo c u se d effort at vario u s d e p a rtm e n t levels a n d w ith d e p a rtm e n t “le a d e rs ” is n e e d e d . B e ca u se e ac h d e p a rtm e n t’s faculty p u b lish es differently, in v o lv e m e n t a t th e g ra ssro o ts level is m o st ef­ fective. • Sm aller institutions lo o k to th e larger o nes to address the problem , yet th ere are som e larger institutions that h a v e large e n o u g h b u d g e ts that th e s c h o la rly c o m m u n ic a tio n c risis d o e s n o t affect th em . H o w ev e r, m a n y larg e sc h o o ls are m a k in g g re a t efforts in th is area. P e rh a p s this small-versus-large-institution p erspective n e e d s to b e e x a m in e d m ore. • T h e m o re th e lib ra ry a n d fa c u lty w o r k to g e th e r, th e m o re th e fa cu lty b e c o m e a w a re o f th e i s s u e s a n d t h e i r r o le in t h e s o lu tio n . S om e in stitu tio n s h a v e h a d s u c c e ss w ith sig ­ n ific a n t c o lla b o ra tio n a m o n g th e library, fa c ­ ulty, university press, a n d e v e n th e m u se u m . • T h e re is a w id e v a ria tio n in th e lev e ls at w h ic h th e crisis h a s b e e n a d d re s s e d a t th e dif­ f e r e n t in s titu tio n s , ra n g in g fro m little o r n o effort to m a jo r efforts, in c lu d in g o n g o in g fac- u lty /lib ra ry /a d m in is tra tio n c o lla b o ra tio n a n d s o l u t i o n s s u c h a s D - S p a c e . L i k e w i s e , in te rv ie w e e s r e p o r t e d v a ry in g le v e ls o f s u c ­ c e s s fo r th e e ffo rts t h a t w e r e m a d e . A fe w re p o rt c h a n g e s in th e te n u re -g ra n tin g p ro c e ss ( w ith r e g a r d s to w h a t p u b l ic a ti o n s a r e a c ­ cep ted ), in b e in g a ble to set u p alternative jour­ n a ls , a n d in g e ttin g s u p p o r t fo r in s titu tio n a l re p o s ito ry initiatives. S om e re p o rt th a t faculty editors have a p p ro a c h e d journals, com plaining a b o u t th e h ig h c o s ts a n d in fla tio n . O n e r e ­ p o rte d , “If I w o u ld h a v e su g g e s te d to th e fac­ u lty s e n a te th r e e y e a rs a g o [d ro p p in g ] all th e p a p e r s u b s c r ip tio n s a n d ju st g o d ig ita l, th e y w o u ld have g o n e nuts a n d laughed a n d rejected th e idea. N ow , since th e faculty h a v e s e e n a n d u s e d th e e le c tro n ic , a n d h a v e n ’t e v e n u s e d a p a p e r c o p y for th e last y e ar a n d a half, I brought u p th e idea, a n d it w e n t th ro u g h a n d all w e n t to e le c tro n ic .” • O th e rs h a v e n o t b e g u n to ra ise th e issu e b e c a u s e th e y feel o v e rw h e lm e d b y its sc o p e , lack o f tim e a n d re so u rc e s, o r a b s e n c e o f s u p ­ p o r t fro m th e a d m in istra tio n a n d faculty. • P articipation in scholarly co m m u n ica tio n e v e n ts is g re a te r w h e n h ig h -ra n k in g a d m in is­ trato rs a n d d e p a rtm e n t le a d e rs e x te n d in v ita ­ tio n s to th e in te n d e d a u d ie n c e . S u p p o rt from th e p ro v o st is essential. • It a p p e a rs in m an y instances that th e insti­ tu tio n a l a d m in is tra tio n e x p e c ts th e lib ra ry to ta k e a sta n c e a n d le a d th e efforts. T h e library n e e d s th e a d m in istra tio n ’s s u p p o r t b u t h a s to ta k e a le a d role in a d d re ssin g th e issue. • W h at is d o n e o n e a c h c a m p u s s h o u ld b e sp e c ific to th e n e e d s o f th a t p a r tic u la r c a m ­ p u s. F o r in stan c e, o n e in te rv ie w e e s u g g e ste d that a large research institution sh o u ld a p p ro ac h its fa c u lty a b o u t p u b l is h in g h a b its , b u t th a t th is s tra te g y w o u l d b e m u c h d i f f e r e n t fro m h o w a sm a lle r (o r m o re liberal arts) in stitution m ight a p p ro a c h th e issue. • A m ong so m e o f th o se surveyed, th ere is a v ie w th a t little h a s c h a n g e d s o fa r in fa c u lty p u b l is h in g h a b its ; h o w e v e r , t h e y a re m o re a w are o f scholarly co m m u n ica tio n crisis issues. T here is a difference in p e rception a m o n g junior a n d senior faculty. D ue to concerns o ver obtain­ ing tenure, junior faculty are understandably m ore co n ce rn ed th an senior faculty w ith publishing in th e m o re tra d itio n a l a n d p re stig io u s jo u rn als, w h ich are often m ore expensive. Also, som e fac­ ulty h o ld vario u s m isconceptions, su c h as s u b ­ stantial num bers believing that going to electronic journals will solve the problem . Some senior fac­ ulty h a v e re p o rte d that th e y realize th e n e e d to ( c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 3 8 9 ) C&RL News ■ June 2003 / 389 pers are individually priced, a n d pricing is avail­ a ble in their o n line catalog. C ustom -w ritten p a ­ pers are priced b a se d o n the difficulty o f the su b ­ ject m atter. P rices ra n g e from $19-95 to $35.00 p e r page. Access: h ttp ://a l-te rm p a p e r.c o m /. • C h e a t h o u s e .c o m . This subscription-based service requires customers to pay annual subscrip­ tion fee. C heathouse claims to h ave o ver 12,500 essays o f varying qualities, a n d charges $49.95 for o n e full y e a r o f access, $14.95 for a m onth, a n d $3-95 for a w eek. The site warns students about the dangers of turning in essays exactly the w ay they get it from the p a p er mills. Students are being advised to wise u p to the dangers of being caught for plagia­ rism. Access: http ://w w w .ch eath o u se.co m /. • G e n iu s P a p e r s f o r S ale. This is a subscrip­ tion service for free papers that professes to have in store o ver 100,000 papers. T he site also provides custom service. A custom p a p er requiring rush de­ livery costs about $34 per page and a standard deliv­ ery, taking be tw ee n seven a nd ten days, costs $20 per page. Access: http://w w w .geniuspapers.com /. • T e r m P a p e r H ig h w a y s . This service p ro ­ vides professional technical custom services a nd charges as m uch as $6.66 p e r p a g e . Access: http :// w w w .papershighw ay.com /aboutus.htm . Links t o b ib lio g r a p h ie s • P la g ia r is m : E x p l o r i n g t h e I s s u e s . Com ­ p iled by Cindy H arrigan from th e Patrick P o w er (“W id esp re a d a c a d e m ic … ” c o n ti n u e d f r o m p a g e 3 8 3 ) p u b lish in alternative o r e lectronic v e n u es, b u t can ’t “in goo d conscience” recom m end the junior faculty they m entor to d o so. • M any librarians v iew th e ir p o sitio n to b e m u c h less influential th a n faculty in solving the p ro b le m . It w a s r e p o rte d th a t th e re is a w id e ­ spread lack o f understanding am ong th e faculty as to h o w the library w orks, is affected b y the crisis, a n d has to deal w ith the problem s it creates. • O n e interviewee m entioned significant suc­ cess a nd enthusiasm w h e n graduate students were approached a nd informed of the issues. This seems to b e a m o re fu tu re-o rien te d strategy, w ith the library h o p in g at som e p o in t d o w n th e ro a d the e d u cation will p ay off. • Institutional re p o sito ries m a y offer h o p e . H ow ever, a n u m b e r o f m isperceptions a n d u n ­ certainties rem ain regarding their value a nd imple­ m entation. For instance, so m e believe re posito­ ries will m ak e v a luable p roprietary inform ation available to th e public. Library at St. M ary’s U niversity in Halifax, N ova Scotia. This is a great bibliography, b u t it has n ot b e e n u p d a te d since A ugust 2001. Access: h ttp :// w w w . s t m a r y s . c a / a d m i n i s t r a t i o n / l i b r a r y / plagbiblio.html. • P l a g i a r i s m : K e e p i n g U p w i t h t h e C h e a ts. This great bibliography, prepared by John Royce, library director at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey, includes articles a n d plagiarism detection and prevention resources. It alerts users to sites that are n o longer active by leaving them in the bibliog­ raphy, b u t sh a d in g th e m gray. Access: h t tp :// v m .robcol.kl2.tr/~jroyce/plagbjbl2.htm l#papers at d Prevention. • P la g ia r is m i n C y b e r s p a c e . This W eb site, titled “Plagiarism in Cyberspace: Sources, Preven­ tion, Detection, a n d O ther Information,” w as pre­ p a r e d in A pril 2002 b y L aura M. B o y e r at th e California State University Stanislaus Library. It in clu d e s articles, b o o k , lin k s to articles o n the W eb, a n d n e w s for faculty a b o u t plagiarism. A c ­ cess:// h ttp ://w w w lib ra ry .c s u sta n .e d u /lb o y e r/ plagiarism /plagiarism3bibliog.htm. N o tes 1. O x fo rd E n glish D ic tio n a ry . Ed. J. A. S im p so n a n d E. S. C. W einer. 2 n d ed. O xford: C la re n d o n Press, 1989. OED O n lin e. O x fo rd U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s . 8 M a y 2 0 0 3 . h t t p : / / d ictio n ary .oed.com /cgi/entry/00181778. ■ • An interesting ob se rv atio n m a d e by those b e in g inte rv iew e d is th at institutions will likely n e e d to su b sc rib e to b o th th e trad itio n a l p re s ­ tigious (m o re e x p e n s iv e ) p u b lic a tio n s as w ell as th e a lte rn a tiv e v e n u e s fo r s o m e tim e. T h e lik e lih o o d o f d o in g a q u a n tu m sw itch is small, u n le s s th e a lte rn a tiv e v e n u e s b e c o m e ro b u s t a n d n u m e ro u s e n o u g h th at a p u n c tu a l c h an g e c a n b e m ad e . This p u ts a n e x tra financial b u r­ d e n o n lib ra rie s to c a rry b o t h th e tra d itio n a l a n d th e a lte rn a tiv e indefinitely. • As m ight b e e x p ec te d , a n u m b e r o f th o se b e in g s u r v e y e d e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n o v e r th e a m o u n t o f pu b lish in g p o w e r h e ld in th e h a n d s o f so fe w p u b lis h e rs . M o n o p o listic p ra c tic e s se e m to b e c o m m o n a n d a p p e a r to b e increas­ ing. A lth o u g h m a n y o f t h e o b s e r v a t i o n s r e ­ p o r t e d a b o v e w e r e d e riv e d fro m th e q u a lita ­ tive re sp o n se s, it is h o p e d th at m o re q u a n tita ­ tive r e sp o n se s will b e p re se n te d in T oronto. ■ http://al-termpaper.com/ Cheathouse.com http://www.cheathouse.com/ http://www.geniuspapers.com/ http://www.papershighway.com/aboutus.htm http://www.stmarys.ca/administration/library/ http://wwwlibrary.csustan.edu/lboyer/ dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00181778