Contents and leader iResearchnformation April/May 2021 l Issue 113 The rise and rise of ebook prices


Lack of FAIR research data ‘slowing down life sciences innovation’


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The last decade promised a revolution but high prices have stirred up a rebellion. Rebecca Pool asks: what’s the way forward?


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The impact of siloed research data has wide-reaching consequences, write Ted Slater and James Malone ‘UKSG gave me a community and a place to learn’


Andrew Barker, UKSG chair, looks back on a difficult year – and towards a brighter future (and tells of his love for 50s jazz)


Sowing seeds for future needs


Eric Merkel-Sobotta discusses the APE conference, the Berlin Institute for Scholarly Publishing, and a passion for horticulture


People, not books


‘A natural response to my curious mind and quest to know’


Research Information meets award-winning Ghanaian researcher Marian Asantewah Nkansah Shifting trajectories


Michele Avissar-Whiting outlines the course of post-pandemic preprinting


Open Athens prize is music to Nkoda’s ears 22 Winner ‘showed great knowledge and care for their UX and end-users’


Jisc and CNI announce library leaders conference 24 Event theme centres around the university library as a catalyst to research practice


News 25


A scurry of stories from around the scholarly communications industry Suppliers directory


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James Molloy reflects on the many different strands of his role as a librarian


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Since Research Information published an article by an anonymous librarian last July, referring to ‘gobsmacking’ price rises for ebooks, awareness of the issue has grown in the scholarly communications industry and among the general public. Several mainstream media outlets


have now covered the issue – while thousands of librarians have signed a petition complaining about prices in some cases exceeding £1,000, and the fact that budgets have left many university libraries unable to subscribe to the titles they need. In our main feature on Page 4


Rebecca Pool delves deeper into the subject, and solicits responses from publishers keen to defend their position and to justify the figures they are charging. It’s a complex issue that seems unlikely to go away any time soon. Elsewhere in this issue we have


Editorial and administrative team Editor: Tim Gillett tim.gillett@europascience.com +44 (0) 1223 221040 Specialist reporter: Rebecca Pool Design: David Houghton/Zöe Andrews Partnership and events executive: Charlie Mitchell charlie.mitchell@europascience.com


Advertising team Advertising manager: Mike Nelson mike.nelson@europascience.com +44 (0) 1223 221039


Corporate team Managing director: Warren Clark


Research Information is published by Europa Science Ltd, 4 Signet Court, Cambridge, CB5 8LA l ISSN 1744-8026 Tel: +44 (0) 1223 211170 l Fax: +44 (0) 1223 213385 Web: www.researchinformation.info


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While every care has been taken in the compilation of this magazine, errors or omissions are not the responsibility of the publishers or of the editorial staff. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers or editorial staff. All rights reserved. Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentioned are not formally endorsed by Europa Science Ltd, which does not guarantee or endorse or accept any liability for any goods and/or services featured in this publication.


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www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo April/May 2021 Research Information 3


four interviews – with two librarians, a publisher, and a researcher, that reflect many of the challenges being faced in the industry as it adjusts to new business models, a changing global order and of course the effects of the ongoing pandemic. As we look ahead to the rest of 2021, there is little clarity as to whether there will be a move back towards in-person industry events around the world – though there are some signs that conferences and exhibitions towards the end of the year may go ahead in a more recognisable format. We can only wait and hope.


@researchinfo


Leader: Tim Gillett Ebook enigma


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