p.s. if we believe that access to education is a crucial right and an extraordinary value worthed to sustain, the change should start from ourselves. If we wait for editors to lower prices of our pubblications or do not ask to partnership with them to make costs of books lower, can we exepct that things change? Experiment and do partnership with your editor , could be fun :-) Monica
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Monica Murero , Ph.D. AoIR Exec, 2003-2009; AoIR Treasurer, 2005-2009 AoIR Lifetime Member
Director E-Life International Institute Associate Professor in Politics of e-Government and in Sociology of New Technology University Federico II, Italy Consultant, World Health Organization LinkedIN: http://it.linkedin.com/pub/monica-murero-ph-d/16/52/606 Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/monica_murero or @monica_murero Facebook: murero monica
Il giorno 10/mar/11, alle ore 14:36, Monica Murero ha scritto:
interesting discussion, and yes, I know... if I say that ALL TOGETHER we can make a difference or "lobby" to start negotiating a bit more final prices with editors all over the world , it would sound utopian - at least for some... But I like experimenting, as Steve Jones suggested, perhaps because I come from the Leonardo, Galileo and Armani's land :-) I am sure I can speak for many when I say that access to education and knowledge is a fundamental and universal right and value that we have achieved in many centuries. But we are still struggling...
Here a little experiment that has transformed principles into actions.
Following Barry's invitation to mention our last publication, for example, I published my last book - (Dec, 2010). Digital Literacy: Introduction to social media, in Italian - with an editor who shares with me the UNESCO's policy and vision about access to higher education. I have given up my royalties, avoid to be logorroic, reduced pages (made students happier ). Average price of comparable books is 12-21 Euros. My book: 7 euros. The editor is making his profit because my students can afford it and avoid to photocopy it - a plague in several countries that reduces editors' profits. If I hadn't partnership with my editor to cut the final price, it would have never happened. A win-win situation.
- Ask your editor how prices can be lowered on your next publication is an experiment worthed to try. A little gesture could mean a lot for disadvantaged scholars. Why not? Imagine the global picture...
- Aoir Exec folks , here a proposal for you :-) Why not discussing a statement in the Aoir bylaw that sustains and endorses the UNESCO policy on access to education for Internet Research publications? Aoir's could cite it and bring to their editors, and partner together to make it happen.
Asking is lecit and free, answering is courtesy!
Monica
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Monica Murero , Ph.D. AoIR Exec, 2003-2009; AoIR Treasurer, 2005-2009 AoIR Lifetime Member
Director E-Life International Institute Associate Professor in Politics of e-Government and in Sociology of New Technology University Federico II, Italy Consultant, World Health Organization LinkedIN: http://it.linkedin.com/pub/monica-murero-ph-d/16/52/606 Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/monica_murero or @monica_murero Facebook: murero monica