In a previous post, I argued that philosophy should push toward publishing in Open Access Journals. Here’s a list of things I think we need to start doing to realize that shift. Some of these will seem quite obvious, but we might as well have the list anyway.
1. Everyone Start Submitting to Open Access Journals
I think everyone should start submitting to open access journals, but the issues for junior faculty are tricky. A good open access publication will surely count for tenure. (See how Philosophers’ Imprint fairs in Brian Weatherson’s survey of journals). However, there simply are not enough Open Access Journals of Philosophers’ Imprint caliber for a Junior Person to put together a successful tenure file based solely on Open Access Publications. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong on this).
Another issue for junior faculty is there aren’t any open access journals that have Mind, Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Review, or Nous level prestige. Until we have an open access journal that is one of the top two or three journals in the field, it may not be in a junior’s interests to submit to an open access publication (until they’ve been rejected by all of the top journals). In many cases, it’s in a junior’s interests to submit that Mind caliber publication to Mind.
Perhaps juniors with a lot of papers in the works can afford to submit their best work to open access journals. Perhaps juniors at departments that weigh all peer-reviewed publications equally can afford to send their best work to open access journals. But juniors at schools with stringent tenure requirements, or juniors concerned about mobility cannot. Until there are two or three online journals that are clearly in the top ten, it will be difficult to make the shift.
(However, the bottom line is that anyone who can afford to should start submitting more to open access journals.)
2. Big Names Start Submitting to Open Access Journals
The real issue with the shift to open access journals is that we need to get an open access journal to the point where it is widely regarded as one of the top two or three journals in the field. The push to Open Access will have to come from people who are already secure in their career. One of the best ways for an online open access journal to rocket to the top is for people already secure in their career to forgo that 18th top journal publication and start sending their best work to Online Open Access Journals. Moves like this will eventually push open access journals to the top.
3. Create More Open Access Journals
Of course, a big issue with (1) and (2) is that there aren’t many Open Access Journals. We need more of them. One way to get more is for people to start them, but I recommend that the new journals be started by leaders in the field at some of our top research institutions. I’m not saying that a quality journal can’t be started by good, serious philosophers at a non-research institution – but it may be a longer up hill battle to have the journal acheive a level that would encourage juniors to submit that Mind publication. People will be more likely to take a chance on a start up journal that is housed at a top research institution and run by familiar names. The quickest route to the top for a new journal is on the backs of scholars who are top in the field.
Note: If any of you readers are confident that you’ve got the connections to start up a journal – I’d like to see an online journal like Analysis. Analysis gets about 500 submissions year, and only accepts about 10%. I bet you the next 5%-10% are pretty good. Many of them might require some work before they fit another journal’s style. Wouldn’t you like to see those in an Open Access Journal? I sure would. I would start that journal today if I thought I had enough clout.
Note: The new journal wouldn’t have to be run by leaders in the field, but it would have to be widely known that the start-up was taken very seriously by leaders in the field if the journal was going to quickly rocket to the top.
4. Top Tier Journals Move to Open Access
An even quicker way to get a Top Tier Open Access Journal would be for the top journals in our field to migrate to an online open-access format. There are legal issues here. Fortunately, I suspect there are two main scenarios, and either way there we can quickly get a top tier journal that is open access.
Scenario One – The Editor/Board Can Switch Publishers
If the editor has the authority to migrate the journal from one publisher to another, then surely they can migrate the journal to an open access format. Moving a top journal to open access format should be EASY if the editor has what I’ll call migration authority.
Scenario Two – The Publishing Company Owns the Journal
If the editor doesn’t have migration authority, then here is my radical proposal – Walk out! Take your editorial skills, take your editorial board, take your list of great referees and leave. Start your own Open Access Philosophy Journal with your current editorial crew. The philosophical community will know what the deal is. They’ll know that this new journal Schmilosophical Studies is the same great journal they’ve always known and loved.
Note: Rock Bands do this all the time. Rather than kick out the annoying guy and risk a legal battle over the name, they simply disband and start up a New Band without the annoying guy.
5. Mid-tier Journals Move to Open Access
Another option to get the ball rolling would be if mid-tier journals with migration authority migrate to open access. Note that a mid-tier journal with migratory rights has some incentive to move to Open Access. They could attract submissions from big name philosophers who feel the moral impetus for open access. A mid-tier journal could easily rocket to being a top journal by switching to open access.
6. Somebody Create An Open Access Version of Analysis!
I know I pretty much covered this one in (3), but an Open Access Online Version of Analysis is so important to me that I want its own number in my list. Will someone please create an Open Access competitor to Analysis! I’ll referee articles for you. I’ll cough up server space. I’ll make you coffee. I’ll make sure your office is always stocked with a bowl of green M&Ms. Whatever it takes for you to get this off the ground, I am ON BOARD!
So what is the key aspect of an Analysis open journal that you’re looking for that isn’t present in journals like the Philosopher’s Imprint?
Hi Jeremy,
Analysis prides itself on publishing short (sometimes very short) pieces. A typical Analysis piece is very quick and to the point. Analysis will also publish very short discussion notes.
Philosophers’ Imprint (although I’m not positive) isn’t looking for these short Analysis type pieces. They seem to be in the market for more lengthy articles.
Note that in Analysis’ guidelines for authors, they indicate that they want the piece to be less than 4000 words (and preferably less than 3000). When you typeset that, you’re looking at something that is well under 8 journal pages.
Note that several Philosohpers’ Imprint articles push a 30 page typeset limit.
Philosophers’ Imprint occassionally publishes a short piece, but that’s not their mission like it seems to be with Analysis.
I just found this post. (I’m finding quite a lot of nice posts on your site!) I think the open access Analysis-ish journal idea is a great one. We’ve got arguably the number one author of Analysis articles here at UCSB (Brueckner). Maybe I could get him to publish in the open access one that (hopefully) eventually gets started! I’d be up for assisting in this effort in any other ways I could if it ever gets going.
Thanks Josh,
I’ve toyed with trying to start something like this for sometime now. I might start soliciting some people in the near future. I think a few tech savvy people and a committed editorial board could easily keep a high quality open access journal afloat.