In advocacy of grey literature now in the line of IPCC fire
http://www.euractiv.com/en/climate-environment/top-climate-scientist-downpla
ys-himalayan-blunder/article-189226
For those of you who have been following this news article in the New
Scientist, the Economist, Nature or elsewhere in the media, GreyNet has
solicited response from the grey literature community - first through its
Listserv and now through its Distribution List.
Please find below a recent reply by Bill Hubbard, JISC Research
Communications Strategist, University of Nottingham.
GreyNet International
Grey Literature Network Service
Javastraat 194-HS
1095 CP Amsterdam
Netherlands
T/F +31-(0)20 331 2420
Email: info@greynet.org
Url: http://www.greynet.org
"GreyNet is dedicated to Research, Publication, Open Access, and Education
in the field of Grey Literature"
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: Bill Hubbard [mailto:Bill.Hubbard@nottingham.ac.uk]
Verzonden: woensdag 27 januari 2010 11:52
Aan: GreyNet
Onderwerp: RE: Advocacy for our FP7 OpenSIGLE Proposal
Dear Colleagues,
> My question to you is simple and straightforward, "Between
> now and March, when the decision is reached on our OpenSIGLE
> proposal, is there any affirmative action we can take in
> advocacy of our proposal?"
I think that the basis of Open Access has a lot to say about such incidents
as the glacier-melt story. It is a clear message of transparancy and
accessibility and even though this might be a well-known message for
ourselves, I think it is always worth making repeatedly in public fora.
In other words, open access brings tracability to materials - if all
research material INCLUDING grey literature were to be made open access as a
matter of course, then tracing back references would be a matter of simple
mouse clicks. In the case of the Himilayan glacier-melt, 1 or 2 mouse clicks
away:
** IPCC claims galcier-melt and gives reference of 2005 report by
conservation group WWF. This reference is to an open access report and so -
"click"
** 2005 WWF report quotes an interview in 1999 by Indian glaciologist Syed
Hasnain. Either it mentions the interview in which case, the track is ended
as a non-peer-reviewed source - or the interview itself was published in
which case
"click"
** And the researcher has the source and can make their judgement as to
its validity.
And of course, if materials were referenced and openly accessible so that
they could be checked at this speed, anyone writing or editing a report
would be able to recheck all of their sources before any report was ever
published, rather than like at present, for example, relying on notes taken
from some interlibrary loan 2 years before, relying on a contributor to have
checked their sources, or seeing that the source is a WWF Report and
assuming that the sources they used would be peer-reviewed.
If reports and articles could have their references checked in this way by
the sceptical scientific process, how much easier it would be. And of
course the references could be checked by journalists, concerned members of
the public, students, and others, as well as academic researchers.
Open Access transparancy should act to reassure researchers and the public
that their decisions and actions are based on a secure footing.
> . . . , is there any affirmative action we can take in
> advocacy of our proposal?"
Maybe it would be worth writing a very short piece along the lines above,
using the glacial-melt case as an example, titled "Himilayan Glaciers and
the need for openess" - which should attract interest, reviewing the case
for OA to grey literatuire, as above, and having the message "this case
clearly supports the need for systematic, widespread open access to grey
literature".
Since GreyNet International has a platform for public release of materials
could this take the form of a Press Release, sent to all those principal
sources that we know have mentioned the glacial-melt story? The
glacier-melt story will keep being referred to for some time I am afraid, so
if newspaper or news servcies have anything new to add to it, we might get a
mention.
Regards,
Bill
--
Bill Hubbard
JISC Research Communications Strategist
Head of Centre for Research Communications
SHERPA - www.sherpa.ac.uk
RSP - www.rsp.ac.uk
RoMEO - www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo
JULIET - www.sherpa.ac.uk/juliet
OpenDOAR - www.opendoar.org
Centre for Research Communications
Greenfield Medical Library
University of Nottingham
Queens Medical Centre
Nottingham
NG7 2UH
UK
Email crc@nottingham.ac.uk
Tel +44(0) 115 846 7657
Fax +44(0) 115 846 8244
* * * * * * * *
> -----Original Message-----
> From: GreyNet [mailto:info@greynet.org]
> Sent: 27 January 2010 10:19
> To: 'STOCK, Christiane'; 'Joachim Schöpfel'; 'Petra Pejšová';
> 'Martin Parr'; '0-Vos'; '0-Hitson'; 'Bill Hubbard';
> 'GRUTTEMEIER, Herbert'; Farace
> Cc: INFSO-RI-CALLS@ec.europa.eu; support@epss-fp7.org;
> infso-einfrastructure@ec.europa.eu
> Subject: Advocacy for our FP7 OpenSIGLE Proposal
> Importance: High
>
> Dear Consortia Members,
>
>
>
> No doubt, you have been following the news concerning the
> Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stand on
> grey literature and the report in question,
>
> http://www.euractiv.com/en/climate-environment/top-climate-sci
> entist-downplays-himalayan-blunder/article-189226
>
>
>
> Never before has grey literature entered popular science
> media capturing the attention of readership to publications
> such as the New Scientist, the Economist, Nature, etc.
> Earlier this week, the vice-chair of IPCC was in Brussels to
> discuss the issue in question.
>
>
>
> Never before has the grey literature community been
> challenged to respond to accusations at the very heart of its
> review processes. Our FP7 Proposal submitted in November
> 2009, seeks not only to address this but also other key
> policies on grey literature.
>
>
>
> My question to you is simple and straightforward, "Between
> now and March, when the decision is reached on our OpenSIGLE
> proposal, is there any affirmative action we can take in
> advocacy of our proposal?"
>
>
>
> Your recommendations and follow-up are truly welcome!
>
>
>
> Kind regards
>
> Dr. Dominic Farace
>
>
>
> GreyNet International
>
> Grey Literature Network Service
>
> Javastraat 194-HS
>
> 1095 CP Amsterdam
>
> Netherlands
>
>
>
> T/F +31-(0)20 331 2420
>
> Email: info@greynet.org
>
> Url: http://www.greynet.org
>
>
>
> "GreyNet is dedicated to Research, Publication, Open Access,
> and Education in the field of Grey Literature"
>
>
>
>
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