Elsevier's David Tempest explains subscription-contract confidentiality clauses
Channel: Mike Taylor
Date: 2013-12-20

BACKGROUND
University libraries have to pay expensive subscription fees to scholarly publishers such as Elsevier, Springer and Wiley, so that their researchers can read articles written by their colleagues and donated to those publishers. Controversially (and maybe illegally), when negotiating contracts with libraries, publishers often insist on confidentiality clauses so that librarians are not allowed to disclose how much they are paying. The result is an opaque market with no downward pressure on prices, hence the current outrageously high prices, which are rising much more quickly than inflation even as publishers' costs shrink due to the transition to electronic publishing.

THE EVENT
On Thursday 11 April 2013, Oxford University hosted a conference called "Rigour and Openness in 21st Century Science". The evening event was a debate on the subject "Evolution or Revolution In Science Communication". During this debate, Stephen Curry of Imperial College noted that his librarian isn't allowed to tell him how much they pay for Elsevier journals.

This is the response of David Tempest, Elsevier's Deputy Director of Universal Sustainable Research Access.

SEE ALSO
The video of the entire debate: long, but fascinating. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFJtwSXC6qA