> The online age has given birth to a very profound conflict of interest
> between what is best for (1) the research journal publishing industry,
> on the one hand, and, on the other hand, what is best for (2)
> research, researchers, universities, research institutions, research
> funders, the vast research and development (R&D) industry, and the
> tax-paying public that funds the research.

The conflict that Stevan describes as being between the "journal
publishing industry" and the research community is, of course,
complicated by the fact that there is no bright line separating the two.
As satisfying as it may be to cast the current situation as a Manichean
struggle between the Good Researchers and the Bad Publishers, the fact
is that many (most?) journal publishers are nonprofit entities from
within the research community.  Challenges to Big Publishing's revenue
streams are likely to affect the revenue streams of small scholarly
societies as well, and thus undermine their ability to support the work
of their members.

None of this is to say that we shouldn't do anything that might affect
revenue streams -- only that we should bear in mind the complexity of
this problem and proceed with due care.  Rushing into any proposed
solution with a crusading mindset may well yield collateral damage that
we regret later.

---
Rick Anderson
Dir. of Resource Acquisition
University of Nevada, Reno Libraries
(775) 682-5664
rickand@unr.edu