Helping the Enemy or Helping Scholars
I submitted a scholarly article to a journal.
After doing so, I reflected on a lot of the things I’ve been reading and writing lately. Am I supporting the enemy by sending in my scholarly work–signing away my rights, not accepting payment for something that will bring them revenue, contributing to a traditional model many people think is broken? Or am I trying to make a genuine contribution to literature in a field few write about or about which few articles are published (I’m never sure which) using a medium scholars, students, professors, and other librarians will think of as reputable–at least more reputable than me publishing my work on any of my Web sites or weblogs?
Well, maybe I won’t have to worry about the publishing aspect at all, at which I’ll have to examine everything, including my own beliefs about publishing, again when I decide whether to try again or give up on publishing.
February 21st, 2005 at 2:48 am
I think adding to formal scholarship is still a good thing.
As for the copyright question, is the “all rights to the publisher” model the only one it utilizes? Do you feel comfortable asking them for a different type of licensing? Would your work be welcome in a journal that’s more flexible?