4 August 2004

Barbara J. Meredith, 
Vice President
Professional/Scholarly Publishing
Association of American Publishers, Inc.
71 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10003-3004

cc: Sara Brandwein, Director

Dear Ms. Meredith,

Thank you for your reply on my e.mail of August 1, 2004 (Subject: "Lets Set the Record Straight About Academic Journal Publishing").

Your e.mail letter reminded that Association of American Publishers' (AAP) report "Setting the Record Straight About Academic Journal Publishing" is a public document (see below), but sadly showed no intention to talk on the integrity of scientific publication, that my previous e.mail explicitly asked you about. 

I worry that one could interpret the lack of your determination on this matter as AAP endorsement of a publisher wrongdoing. In my view the lack of your response on the UK Parliamentary inquiry written evidence on Editorial and Publisher corruption by major STM titles would catch public interest in biomedical publication completely off guard. Is this what scientific and lay public deserve from the AAP? 

I send the copy of this communication to Public Library of Science (PLoS) and to Congressman Martin Olav Sabo (because AAP report "Setting the Record Straight About Academic Journal Publishing" opposes PLoS and Congressman Sabo), to NIH director Elias Zerhouni (because of my correspondence relation to his recent meeting with you and a number of STM publishers, also see FOS News Blog of 11 July, 2004), and to Presidents' Science advisor John H. Marburger (because of my recent Open Letter to the President GW Bush).
 

Sincerely,
 

Alexei Koudinov, MD, PhD
neuroscientist and editor
http://koudinov.info
http://neurobiologyoflipids.org

Dear Dr Koudinov:

Thank you for your interest in AAP/PSP's web information.  "Setting the Record Straight About Academic Journal Publishing" is a public document posted on the AAP's Professional/Scholarly Publishing website.  It was written by (and represents the views of ) the Association's scholarly and professional member publisher organizations.

Barbara J. Meredith
Vice President, Executive Director, Professional & Scholarly Publishing Division
Association of American Publishers

Sara Brandwein
Director
Professional/Scholarly Publishing
Association of American Publishers, Inc.
71 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10003-3004

cc: Barbara J. Meredith, Vice President

1 August 2004

Dear Ms. Brandwein,

I read with interest AAP July 2004 report "Setting the Record Straight About Academic Journal Publishing" announced as Open Access News Blog on August 1, 2004.

May I kindly ask you to publically respond on the following matter:

A.  The unfair practices of major scientific journals (including representing conventional subscription-based publishing system journal Nature; Science magazine; Elsevier's Cell Press Neuron and Cell; Elsevier's Brain Research...) illustrate editorial and publishing institution corruption, and their apparent inability to serve public interest.

B.  The presented evidence show that questioned journals serve a private interest, and that there is no working mechanism to force these journals or their publishing institutions to amend things and thus observe their own broken self-declared ethical guidelines. 

-- UK Parliament Science and Technology Committee inquiry on Scientififc Publication (Ref 1).

I and others look forward hearing from you.
 

Sincerely,

Alexei Koudinov, MD, PhD
neuroscientist and editor
http://koudinov.info
http://neurobiologyoflipids.org

References:

1. Memorandum from Dr. Alexei Koudinov. Science and Technology - Tenth Report, Volume II, Oral and Written Evidence, House of Commons Publication HC399II (20 July 2004) pp.394-404 [ .HTML FullText ].