154 · Representative Documents: Scholarly Communication Resolutions
University of Connecticut
Minutes of a Meeting of the University Senate: Attachment 23
http://www.senate.uconn.edu/SenMin/senmin.20040209.pdf
03/04 -A -61
Resolution
Access to the scholarly literature is vital to all members of the academic community. Scholars
and their professional associations share a common interest in the broadest possible
dissemination of peer-reviewed contributions. Unfortunately, the business practices of some
journals and journal publishers is inimical to these interests and threatens to limit the promise of
increased access inherent in digital technologies. Development of library collections is more and
more constrained by the rising costs of journals and databases. Faculty, staff, students, and
university administrators must all take greater responsibility for the scholarly communication
system.
Therefore, the University Senate calls on all faculty, staff, and students of the University of
Connecticut to become familiar with the business practices of journals and journal publishers in
their specialty. It especially encourages senior tenured faculty to reduce their support of journals
or publishers whose practices are inconsistent with the health of scholarly communication by
submitting fewer papers to such journals, by refereeing fewer papers submitted to such journals,
or by resigning from editorial posts associated with such journals. It encourages them to increase
their support of existing journals and publishers whose practices are consistent with the health of
scholarly communication.
The Senate also calls on University administrators and departmental, school, college and
University committees to reward efforts by faculty, staff, and students to start or support more
sustainable models for scholarly communication. It calls on them to provide financial and
material support to faculty, staff, and students whose work helps to ensure broad access to the
scholarly literature. It also calls on professional associations and the University to invest in the
infrastructure necessary to support new venues for peer-reviewed publication.
Finally, the Senate calls on the University Libraries to provide resources that help faculty, staff,
and students understand the business practices of different journals and journal publishers and
their impact on the health of scholarly communication.
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