Stephen EglenFeb 20, 2023

Should the UK make a deal with Springer Nature (SN)?

I argue that the UK should no longer support transformative deals; other forward-looking models are proposed.

1. Nature APCs are not justified.

2. Gold OA is not the only way forward.

3. Gold OA creates another paywall that prevents many authors from publishing.

4. SN refuse to recognise #RightsRetention for all authors.

5. SN have not met last year's targets for over half their transformative journals.

https://unlockingresearch-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=3494

Should the UK make a deal with Springer Nature? - Unlocking Research

This is a guest post by Prof. Stephen J. Eglen on the concurrent negotiations between the UK academic sector and the publisher Springer Nature. Prof. Eglen is a Fellow of Magdalene College and Professor of Computational Neuroscience in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. This post does not … Continue reading Should the UK make a deal with Springer Nature? →

Unlocking Research
Show threadJohn TowseFeb 20, 2023

@sje
"However, Springer Nature assert that 'they haven’t found a way of making them [alternatives to GoldOA] financially sustainable'"

My translation: "But we can't make such large profit margins unless we get to set all the financial rules of the game"

Show threadStephen Eglen

@johnntowse

yes, totally agree. Given how much profit there is currently, its hard to imagine any new system being as lucrative for SN.

Feb 20, 2023 at 7:48pmWeb
Show threadJohn TowseFeb 20, 2023

@sje
Of course, if SN really were on their uppers, unable to balance the books by servicing the needs of research (academics, libraries, funders etc) they should feel very free - and of course are - to walk away and find another industry willing to stomach their profit margins and their belligerence.

They want us to believe we need them (as part of their global divide and conquer contracts). Their dirty secret is that actually they need us, at least at the macro level.