> [Moderator's note: The AJP project has been mentioned in several
> postings, most recently by Arthur Smith in the prior one on this
> thread. It may surprise some to hear that I think page-charges for
> that commendable project might be premature! A tide-over subsidy for
> the next few unstable years might be a safer way to ensure its
> survival through the transition period into the online-only era
> supported by author-end page charges n place of reader-end S/SL/PPV.
But who will provide funds for a subsidy? Will it be given to for-profit
publishers? Until there are answers to questions like this, the suggestion
of a subsidy is pie-in-the-sky.
Marvin Margoshes
[Moderator's note: Reasonable questions. This is why the transition
needs advance planning. See the "Urgent Need to Plan a Stable
Transition" thread in ths Forum. Some candidates for the sponsors
of a temporary tide-over to facilitate and stabilise the
transition: (1) Paper Publishers themselves, as an investment in
exploring and preparing for their future; (2) University Libraries,
to hasten their own future savings; (3) Research funding agencies,
to hasten and support the optimal mechanism for the reporting of
the work they have funded; (4) University/Learned-Society
consortia, in the interests of their constituencies.
-- Stevan Harnad]
