On Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 11:56:04AM -0700, Russ Abbott wrote: > > Furthermore, it is always OK to publish "pre-prints" of journal articles. > These are author-formatted versions of published articles. Pre-prints allow > the contents of articles to be made available without charge without giving > away the formatting "added value" contributed by the publisher. > > -- Russ A >
>From a legal standpoint, I don't think this is true, unless the journal specifically allows for it in their transfer of copyright agreement, which most journals require authors to sign. What I _always_ do is read the copyright assignment agreement, and if it doesn't specifically allow for the article to be added to an e-print server, I will add in the specific clause allowing me to do this, before signing the copyright transfer and sending it back. Many of the important journals will allow for e-print servers and personal websites, but some of the newer journals do not. I don't much agree with copyright transfer, but in as much as it appears to be necessary to be published, I use the same technique that they use (ie large gobs of legalese that people never read) to get the necessary changes in. Interestingly, I have only had one instance of a push back by a publisher when I did this (obviously they did read the fine print :). This threatened to delay the publication of a collection of papers, and in the end was resolved by them issuing me with a specific license to allow for e-print publication. However, there was a Catch-22 situation where I wouldn't sign the copy transfer until they sent me the license, and they would give me a license until they had copyright. In the end, they relented and sent me the license first, after I pointed out the license could only start operating once I transferred copyright. Bugger 'em. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) Mathematics UNSW SYDNEY 2052 [email protected] Australia http://www.hpcoders.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
