Begin forwarded message:
> From: Arthur Sale ahjs -- OZEMAIL.COM.AU > Date: March 23, 2010 12:37:10 AM EDT (CA) > Subject: Re: Guide for the Perplexed (about how to inspire > institutions to adopt Green OA self-archiving mandates) > > Perhaps I can add something to this discussion. The reason we know > that > mandates are the only way to get repositories full is simple- it > works and > nothing else does. > > Long experience over many years has consistently proven that > persuading > academics to deposit their papers is a Sisyphean task. A few > academics stay > persuaded, but the persuasion for most wears off after a while, and > the > persuaded academics drop out. The balance seems to be around 15%, > maybe > slightly higher like 20% where the benefits are more obvious. > Neither level > is satisfying and no-one has found any good argument for persuasion > as a > strategy, except as a route to a mandate. > > Let's not get hung up about mandates. Academics are mandated all the > time. > Indeed it is an intrinsic part of what it means to be an academic. > They are > required to turn up to scheduled lectures. They are required to set > exam > papers, and even worse to mark them. Most academics are required to > undergo > performance management evaluation, or to go through promotion > procedures to > proceed in rank. Academics are required not to molest their students > or show > personal preferences. When things like the RAE/REF are contemplated, > academics are required to take part. Academics are also required to > publish > their research. Academics happily mandate that their students must > submit > assignments on time, and turn up to exams. I could keep going on for > quite a > long time... > > The only immediate solution in this transitional time is deposit > mandates. > Once mandates are universal, they become the community norm but a > mandate > nonetheless. > > Arthur Sale > University of Tasmania > Australia