Dear Suchith,
I understand your point, and I also support your views on this, but this
is from my perspective a too personal/particular issue, as to have it as
an "OSGeo open letter". Also, because this is more of an ICA and not so
much an OSGeo issue, I think.
First, I would keep it more general. You address a particular issue (UN
SDG book published by esri), and also some personal background (this
should not matter to the addressed subject). I would recommend you keep
it from being personal and denouncing proprietary GIS vendors. If a
company plays by the rules of science, there is nothing wrong about that
company publishing a scientific book. I.e. almost all book publishers
are commercial companies with interests somehow and somewhere.
You need to “attack” scientific “wrong doing” by that particular company
in conducting the editing and publication of that book. Publishing books
if done correctly is not wrong, even by a vendor with vested interests.
But if you witness, for example, that submissions using open source GIS
solutions are disadvantaged against the submissions using products of
the proprietary GIS vendor publishing the book, that would be the point
to raise and attack.
Second, better write about how it should be done to avoid this negative
“Fake Science” things from happening. Here the idea of Open Science and
Reproducible Science is key, i.e. the most openness and transparency
possible. We just need more transparency in science and also in the
whole process of editing/reviewing and publishing a book. And this is
where OSGeo can contribute. Basically, real reproducible and open
science is not possible without open source software. If you can’t see
how something is implemented, you can not really reproduce the results.
Third, if you accuse someone of “Fake Science” please make sure to offer
evidence about this particular misconduct. If you fail to do so, you are
creating “fake news” yourself. Sorry, no offense at you personally, but
I think its not a good idea to publish this letter in OSGeo's or
GeoForAll's name. At least not with these accusations or even notion of
"Fake Science" in it.
To be clear, I share your view that it is bad, if esri would publish a
book written by scientists in the context of a United Nations initiative
to maybe only advertise its own product, but until any misconduct is
proven, you can't accuse esri or ICA of "Fake Science".
Best regards,
Christian
Am 24.07.2018 um 11:53 schrieb Suchith Anand:
Dear colleagues,
I have prepared a draft letter with my ideas/suggestions .I am just a
volunteer and I feel sad thatthat I have to raise this issue through
an open letter. But if I remain silent on this , I will be indirectly
supporting the degrading of independent peer review frameworks for
Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations.
It is the fundamental duty of all Officers of Scientific
Associations/Organisationsto always take steps to guard and protect
independent peer review frameworksfor Scholarly publications of
Scientific Associations. I am hopeful and confident that that they
all will do this for the future.
I am not a native English speaker, so please help refine thisletter
correctly. I want us to look at the future not focus on mistakes made
in past . Some mistakes have been made and I understand that this is
corrected. We are all human , so we all make mistakes. So let us not
focus on past mistakes but look at ideas on how we can strengthen the
independent peer review frameworksfor Scholarly publications of
Scientific Associations in the future.
The International Cartographic Association (ICA) is my organisation
for whichI have volunteered for the last 15 years and continuing . I
have great respect for everyone in this great global community . The
SDG book is a community effort (not any individual’s book project) . I
have requested from the start (as soon as I came to know) for openness
and transparency in decision making for selecting the publisher. esp.
as this book is on UN SDG . I understand that ICA has now corrected
the mistake . Everyone makes mistakes and it takes courage to
acknowledge and correct the mistakes .Compassion and forgiveness are
important values .I am very grateful that ICA has listened to my
concerns and rectified this . So I don’t have any issues with ICA or
any colleagues in ICA. We might have difference in opinions on some
issues and having free and open discussions is in my humble opinion
the best way to learn each others perspectives and find best solutions
to move forward.
_
_
Please send any updates/modifications needed to the draft by 30th July
2018. I am on family holidays ( with no internet ) in first week of
August, so I will aim to send this before I go on holidays.
===========================================
*Draft of Open Letter on the importance to protecting independent peer
review frameworks**for Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations*
Scholarly publications (edited books, journals etc) from scientific
associations/organisations hascredibility and reputation because of
strong independent peer review frameworks . We are very fortunate in
the Geospatial domain to have many reputed Scientific Associations and
organisations (ICA, IGU, ISPRS, IEEE-GRSS, IAG etc) who have over many
decades provided strong leadership in advancement of geo science.
In times of fake news, science is usually one of those areas that can
give us orientation and we can rely on.Independent peer review
frameworksfor Scholarly publications is among the foundations of good
science. However, this isobviously at risk now. If a professional
association takesagrees to publish scholarly publications (edited
books etc)through a GIS vendor’s press then there is potential issues
with independent peer review and ensuring scientific quality. It is
only natural that any GIS vendor publication press to have vested
interests in promoting their products andagenda. It also makes it easy
for the vendor to get endorsement for theirproducts from scientific
and professional organisations using this route. Independent peer
review is the fundamental aspect of science and we need to ensure all
steps to protect this.
We are also now seeing a very disturbing trend withsome vendors even
starting to trademark “ science” for marketing/sales of theirproducts
and “science” is being misused for vendor marketing/sales! . I have
raised this issue through an open letter [1] .Science is not a
commodity to be marketed or sold by any vendor owners! I am very sad
and disappointed to see this degrading of science happening.
Scientific organisations should not endorse any specific vendor
products etc as “Science” and take strong moral stand againstmarketing
of products as “Science’ by any vendor owners!
I am a volunteer for the ICA for the last 15 years and always done my
best in my small way to support ICA . Around one year back, i/n the
light of the //International Map Year (IMY)/ <http://mapyear.org/>/,
the /The International Cartographic Association (ICA) started an
excellent initiative /forhighlighting the value of cartography by
“mapping” the //UN sustainable development goals/
<https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/>/./Building upon this, The ICA
community started work on a book on UN SDG Mappingbuilding upon the
posters of the various commissions on this [2]. This is a great
community initiative developed with inputs from all colleagues in
commissions of the ICA. The Open Source Geospatial Commission
colleagues also contributed our inputs for this. When the book project
was announced, I did my best to contact colleagues to contribute to
this in good faith. I didn’t have the faintest idea that it was being
planned to be published through a properitary GIS vendor publication
press! As soon as I came to know about this, I did contact Menno -Jan
with my concerns and requested him that as this is a community book
project to please allow open discussions and keep the community
updated [3] . I was very surprised that there was no open and
transparent discussions on selecting the book publisher was done.
From an email from Anthony Robinson on 16th July 2018, I understand
now that ICA is not proceeding with the vendor GIS publication press
(Esri press)for the SDG book and I welcome this. But it isimportantwe
need to be learn lessons from this mistake and not repeat this in
future. We are all humans and make mistakes.
I fully respect the right of individuals publishing their personal
work [1] in any publication house that they wish. But as officers of
Scientific Organisations, esp. in times of some vendor owners
doing marketing/sales on “Science” , I request all colleagues to be
careful not to do anything that will undermine independent peer review
process.
I am suggesting some initial ideas that we all can take as a community
to help reduce this problem in the future
* All Scientific Associations and organisations should ensure that
there is full open and transparent discussions allowed before
choosing any publishers of scholarly publications (Edited Books etc).
* It is important that GIS scientific associations/organisations
take strong moral stand against taking sponsorship/royalty etc for
scholarly publications from all GIS vendors . Independent peer
review system is the fundamental aspect of science. So I am humbly
requesting all Scientific organisations tonot use any GIS vendor
controlled press for publishing scholarly outputs (edited books
etc).GIS scientific organisations should nottakeany sponsorship or
royalty for scholarly publications (books, journals etc) from any
GIS vendors . If a scientific association takesagrees to publish
scholarly publications (edited books etc) through the vendor’s
press then there is potential issues with independent peer review
and ensuring scientific quality. It is only natural that any GIS
vendor publication press to have vested interests in promoting
their products and agenda. It also makes it easy for the vendor
to get endorsement for their products from scientific and
professional organisations using this route. Independent peer
review is the fundamental aspect of science and we need to ensure
all steps to protect this.
* Officers of Scientific Organisations and Editors of all GIS
journals declare any conflict of interest with any vendors
(funding/sponsorship/royalties etc received from any GIS vendors
currently or in the past) to ensure transparency and good
practices.They should not support any vendors interest directly or
indirectly. Scientific organisations should not endorse any
specific vendor products etc as “Science” and take strong moral
stand against marketing of products as “Science’ by any vendor
owners!
I am concerned with the wider degradation of science and education
happening in different sectors. This is a moral issue and needs all
organisations globally in science and education working together.
It is the fundamental duty of all Officers of Scientific
Organisationsto guard and protect independent peer review
frameworksfor Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations. I am
hopeful and confident that that they will do this for the future.
Best wishes,
Suchith
[1]
https://www.rd-alliance.org/group/geospatial-ig/post/open-letter-importance-scientific-freedom-and-public-good
[2] https://icaci.org/maps-and-sustainable-development-goals/
<http://icaci.org/maps-and-sustainable-development-goals/>
[3] https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2017-June/003790.html
[4]
https://esripress.esri.com/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=254&moduleID=0
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Dr. Christian Willmes
AG GIS & Fernerkundung | GIS & RS Group
Geographisches Institut | Institute of Geography
Universität zu Köln | University of Cologne
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470 6234
http://www.geographie.uni-koeln.de/14126.html
http://www.sfb806.de
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http://publons.com/a/1316706/
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5566-6542
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