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Thanks Chris,
That was useful.
However a detailed research is in order to find out
* how much money gets generated by sale of these documents,
* to what extend this collection really supports the kind of support
activities mentioned by you
* to what extend pricing online access just blocks outreach of these
documents, even in developing countries
* and how effective are the distribution mechanisms for these
documents in print form in developing countries (this point is especially
important - do those who need them able to get them, or do these docs just
get send to some mailing lists)
Chris says >> The sub-category principally addressed by the open access
movement,
however, is not books, but academic journals.>>
The WSIS-Geneva POA speaks not only of open access to journals but also to
books and open archives for scientific information.
There is a shortcoming in this point of POA that it does not specifically
mention 'useful development information' - which should have been there.
It should be a natural thing for all UN agencies to vet their processes for
compliance to UN-Summit resolutions. It is interesting to hear that WIPO and
ILO price access to their journals. But most documents from UNDP, UNRISD,
UNESCO are available for free download...In contrast ITU documents
containing development information, statistics compilation etc are
prohibitively expensive.
And as for free pdf missing the targeted groups in developing countries, it
needs to be appreciated that these documents are used not by poor people as
such but by intermediary agencies that work with and for them. These
agencies are increasingly getting some ICT exposure. Having useful
information that they can access online will be a great incentive to
increase such exposure. That of course does not mean that print documents be
made scarce. As rightly mentioned by Chris pdf documents can lead demand for
printed documents, and can target their distributions better.
Regards
Parminder
______________________________________
Parminder Jeet Singh
IT for Change, Bangalore
Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
www.ITforChange.net
Ph: 91 80 2665 4134
Mobile: 91 98 4594 9445
-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org] On Behalf
Of Zielinski, Christopher
Sent: 07 April 2005 15:21
To: plenary@wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU and open access recommendations of WSIS
Karen,
As someone who has managed publishing activities in a number of UN
organizations, I can attempt a generalized answer to your question about
"content access in UN organizations" (although there are of course a
number of specific exceptions).
Most UN organizations produce both "priced publications" (which are
often given away) and "documents" (which are never sold). Priced
publications are mainly sold in industrialized countries, while they are
generally given away in developing countries, according to various
criteria. The money earned by UN organizations through selling priced
publications is generally recycled through a Revolving Fund to support
the cost of production of new titles, staff, promotion, etc. - and to
pay for the free distribution.
With the arrival of the Internet, organizations have found themselves
wavering at the banks of an economic and developmental Rubicon - should
they give away pdfs of their priced publications online or not?
As most of those who can access the pdfs of these publications on the
Internet will be in industrialized countries, will such open access in
any way help those in developing countries (which is, after all, the
main reason why these organizations publish anything)?
In fact, they wonder, might this instead be a classic case of the magic
bullet being aimed at the foot? You give the books for free to those who
can afford them anyway, and thus kill most of your print sales. The
result of this is that you also kill the income used to finance the
printing of books on paper - mainly needed in developing countries.
(Against this argument, however, there is research to suggest that
offering free pdfs is a great sales leader - people prefer buying the
printed and bound book rather than either reading a pdf on screen or
printing it out on the office machine and binding it with a stapler.)
The sub-category principally addressed by the open access movement,
however, is not books, but academic journals. Interestingly, policy is
quite varied in the UN system regarding open access to its journals. A
quick web survey shows that WIPO and the ILO make everybody pay for
electronic access to their journals, the ITU seems to have none, while
WHO allows open electronic access to its journal (the Bulletin), while
also selling print subscriptions.
Hope this is "brief and succinct" enough for you, Karen - I can be wordy
and garrulous as well, if you prefer...
Cheers,
Chris
Chris Zielinski (writing in personal capacity)
STP, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
RPC/EIP, World Health Organization
Avenue Appia, CH1211, Geneva, Switzerland
-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org] On
Behalf Of karen banks
Sent: 07 April 2005 09:45
To: plenary@wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU and open access recommendations of
WSIS
dear parminder and all
I agree with you that ITU's case needs to be reviewed. Most of the UN
>organisations have book sale facilities, but at the same time, unlike
ITU, a
>good amount of the titles are made available through websites as well,
>typical example UNESCO and World Bank. If we have to implement the POA
text,
>ITU should open its repository of knowledge.
i'm interested in this particularly at the moment as the WGIG is
finalising
the 'assessment' papers of existing governance mechanisms in respect the
'basket' of issues identified as important in the governance landscape.
there is one section on content accessibility and i would really
appreciate
more/additional factual comments as regards the extent to which
organisations - particularly UN agencies, make their content available,
and
under what circumstances - but also, interested in government policies
that
promote open access models..
would need this pretty quickly though.. and, the info needs to be as
brief
and succinct as possible..
karen
_______________________________________________
Plenary mailing list
Plenary@wsis-cs.org
http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
_______________________________________________
Plenary mailing list
Plenary@wsis-cs.org
http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
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Thanks Chris,
That was useful.
However a detailed research is in order to find = out
· how much money gets = generated by sale of these documents,
· to what extend this = collection really supports the kind of
support activities mentioned by = you
· to what extend pricing = online access just blocks outreach of
these documents, even in developing = countries
· and how effective are the distribution mechanisms for these
documents in print form in developing = countries (this point is
especially important - do those who need them able = to get them, or do
these docs just get send to some mailing = lists)
Chris says >> The sub-category principally addressed by the open access movement,
however, is not books, = but academic journals.>>
The WSIS-Geneva POA speaks not only of open access to journals = but also
to books and open archives for scientific information.
There is a shortcoming in this point of POA that it does not specifically
mention `useful development information' = - which should have been there.
It should be a natural thing for all UN agencies to vet their = processes
for compliance to UN-Summit resolutions. It is interesting to hear that WIPO and ILO price access to their journals. But most documents from UNDP,
= UNRISD, UNESCO are available for free download.........In contrast ITU documents containing development information, statistics compilation etc
are prohibitively expensive.
And as for free pdf missing the = targeted groups in developing countries,
it needs to be appreciated that these documents = are used not by poor
people as such but by intermediary agencies that work = with and for them.
These agencies are increasingly getting some ICT exposure. = Having useful
information that they can access online will be a great incentive = to
increase such exposure. That of course does not mean that print documents be made scarce. As rightly mentioned by Chris pdf documents can
lead demand for printed documents, and can target their distributions
better.
Regards
Parminder
______________________________________
Parminder Jeet = Singh
IT for Change, Bangalore
Bridging Development Realities and = Technological Possibilities
www.ITforChange.net
Ph: 91 80 2665 = 4134
Mobile: 91 98 4594 9445
-----Original = Message-----
From: plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Zielinski, Christopher
Sent: 07 April 2005 15:21
To: plenary@wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU and open access recommendations of WSIS
Karen,
As someone who has managed publishing activities in a number of = UN
organizations, I can attempt a generalized answer to your = question about
"content access in UN organizations" (although there = are of course a
number of specific exceptions).
Most UN organizations produce both "priced = publications" (which are
often given away) and "documents" (which are never = sold). Priced
publications are mainly sold in industrialized countries, while = they are
generally given away in developing countries, according to = various
criteria. The money earned by UN organizations through selling = priced
publications is generally recycled through a Revolving Fund to = support
the cost of production of new titles, staff, promotion, etc. - = and to
pay for the free distribution.
With the arrival of the Internet, organizations have found = themselves
wavering at the banks of an economic and developmental Rubicon - = should
they give away pdfs of their priced publications online or not?
As most of those who can access the pdfs of these publications = on the
Internet will be in industrialized countries, will such open = access in
any way help those in developing countries (which is, after all, = the
main reason why these organizations publish = anything)?
In fact, they wonder, might this instead be a classic case of = the magic
bullet being aimed at the foot? You give the books for free to = those who
can afford them anyway, and thus kill most of your print sales. = The
result of this is that you also kill the income used to finance = the
printing of books on paper - mainly needed in developing = countries.
(Against this argument, however, there is research to suggest = that
offering free pdfs is a great sales leader - people prefer = buying the
printed and bound book rather than either reading a pdf on = screen or
printing it out on the office machine and binding it with a = stapler.)
The sub-category principally addressed by the open access = movement,
however, is not books, but academic journals. Interestingly, = policy is
quite varied in the UN system regarding open access to its = journals. A
quick web survey shows that WIPO and the ILO make everybody pay = for
electronic access to their journals, the ITU seems to have none, = while
WHO allows open electronic access to its journal (the Bulletin), = while
also selling print subscriptions.
Hope this is "brief and succinct" enough for you, = Karen - I can be wordy
and garrulous as well, if you = prefer...
Cheers,
Chris
Chris Zielinski (writing in personal = capacity)
STP, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
RPC/EIP, World Health Organization
Avenue Appia, CH1211, Geneva, Switzerland
-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org = [mailto:plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org] On
Behalf Of karen banks
Sent: 07 April 2005 09:45
To: plenary@wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU and open access = recommendations of
WSIS
dear parminder and all
I agree with you that ITU's case needs to be reviewed. Most of = the UN
>organisations have book sale facilities, but at the same = time, unlike
ITU, a
>good amount of the titles are made available through = websites as well,
>typical example UNESCO and World Bank. If we have to = implement the POA
text,
>ITU should open its repository of = knowledge.
i'm interested in this particularly at the moment as the WGIG = is
finalising
the 'assessment' papers of existing governance mechanisms in = respect the
'basket' of issues identified as important in the governance = landscape.
there is one section on content accessibility and i would = really
appreciate
more/additional factual comments as regards the extent to which
organisations - particularly UN agencies, make their content = available,
and
under what circumstances - but also, interested in government = policies
that
promote open access models..
would need this pretty quickly though.. and, the info needs to = be as
brief
and succinct as possible..
karen
_______________________________________________
Plenary mailing list
Plenary@wsis-cs.org
http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
_______________________________________________
Plenary mailing list
Plenary@wsis-cs.org
http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
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