Preliminary Findings: Rent Seeking by Elsevier

https://openmethods.dariah.eu/2017/10/30/preliminary-findings-rent-seeking-by-elsevier/ OpenMethods introduction to: Preliminary Findings: Rent Seeking by Elsevier 2017-10-30 10:08:51 Introduction: Open Access has made an impact on the business strategies of major publishing companies, but the effects may turn out to be perverse. Pressed by Open Access to find new revenue models publishing houses have moved to acquire ownership and dominance of academic data infrastructures. This article investigates the strategy of Elsevier to acquire renewed economical gain of academic work. Joris van Zundert http://knowledgegap.org/index.php/sub-projects/rent-seeking-and-financialization-of-the-academic-publishing-industry/preliminary-findings/ Blog post Analysis Collaboration Data Dissemination English Infrastructure Methods Publishing Research Activities Research Objects Research Process Virtual Research Environments via bookmarklet

Introduction by OpenMethods Editor (Joris van Zundert): Open Access has made an impact on the business strategies of major publishing companies, but the effects may turn out to be perverse. Pressed by Open Access to find new revenue models publishing houses have moved to acquire ownership and dominance of academic data infrastructures. This article investigates the strategy of Elsevier to acquire renewed economical gain of academic work.

Over the last few decades, there has been ongoing debate and distress regarding the effects of the journal subscription paywall and the very real barriers to knowledge access that it creates. As major academic publishers invest and redirect their business strategies to open access and alternative paying structures, it may seem as if the access to knowledge battle is starting to be won. However, as big publishers move towards openness they have also been redirecting their business strategies towards the acquisition of scholarly infrastructure, the tools and services that underpin the scholarly research life cycle, many of which are geared towards data analytics. We argue that moves toward increased control over openness and data analytics by big publishers are simultaneous processes of profit maximization.

 

Original publication date: 20/09/2017.

Source: Preliminary Findings: Rent Seeking by Elsevier – The Knowledge G.A.P.

Author: Author on Source

Drs. Joris J. van Zundert (1972) is a senior researcher and developer in humanities computing. He holds a research position in the department of literary studies at the Huygens Institute for the History of The Netherlands, a research institute of The Netherlands Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). His main interest as a researcher and developer is in the possibilities of computational algorithms for the analysis of literary and historic texts, and the nature and properties of humanities information and data modeling. His current research focuses on computer science and humanities interaction and the tensions between hermeneutics and ‘big data’ approaches.