September 2006
Issue 1.06
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Transitions.
The purpose of this irregular electronic newsletter is to bring to readers’ attention some of the many new projects and developments affecting the current system of scholarly communication, with emphasis on new products and programs, the open access movement and other alternative publishing models. Scholarly communication refers to the full range of formal and informal means by which scholars and researchers communicate, from email discussion lists to peer-reviewed publication. In general authors are seeking to document and share new discoveries with their colleagues, while readers–researchers, students, librarians and others–want access to all the literature relevant to their work.
While the system of scholarly communication exists for the benefit of the world’s research and educational community and the public at large, it faces a multitude of challenges and is undergoing rapid change brought on by technology. To help interested members of the UI community keep up on these challenges and changes we plan to put out 6-8 issues per year of this newsletter. The current issue, covering recent events stretching back to the spring of 2006, is longer for that reason than we expect for the typical issue.
This newsletter aims to reflect the interests of its readers so please forward comments, suggestions and entries to include to karen-fischer@uiowa.edu. Also, read the health sciences counterpart to Transitions: Hardin Scholarly Communication News.
Table of Contents
U of Iowa Provost Supports Federal Research Public Access Act
Google’s Big Book Scanning Project: Read up!
Introducing the Networked Scholar: Institute for the Future of the Book Launches MediaCommons
ACLS History eBook Project and Rutgers U. Press Introduce “Breakthrough” Ebooks
Academics Start Their Own Wikipedia For Media Studies
Retooled “Create Change” Web Resource Helps Faculty Fulfill the Promise of Digital Scholarship
Editorial board of Elsevier journal resigns in protest
Progress toward OA in art history
American Physical Society Expands Open Access Offerings
Three big publishers offer Open Access Options
Announcing the Launch of Chemistry Central
Digital University/Library Presses: Internet-First University Press
Turning Public Data into National Security Secrets
Scholarly Communication: Academic Values and Sustainable Models
