[LINK] Australian government open access policy for research publishing?

[Evan.ARTHUR at Dest.gov.au]

Marghanita wrote:  <<As, I have mentioned before my most obvious
interest in research being undertaken in Australia is in that relevant
to improving the governance of ICT and of use in drafting
standards/guidelines to do this. From what I have been told, academics
do not have any incentives to contribute to this effort....even when
they are funded to undertake research in the area.

>From my experience, it is incredibly hard to get people to appreciate
the importance of 'machinery' activities, such as standard setting.
Part of the problem is that, while such activities are vital, they are
also seriously unglamorous and immersed in unending detail.  Having said
that, I know that in the area where I have some involvement, namely
standards for the use of ICT in education, training and research,
Australia does host some key players in the international standards
game.  At least one is a Linker (Hi Liddy).  If any one is interested,
an example of the kind of educational standards work we support can be
found at: http://www.elframework.org/about/

In terms of rewards for academics, it is true that the standard reward
systems focus on the production of items such as journal articles and
books.  Academics involved in ICT research have often pointed out that
the products of ICT research, notably software, tend not to be picked up
by the standard systems.  'Policy' work such as standards generation is
even less likely to be rewarded.  This is one of the reasons why we have
designed the Research Quality Framework
(http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/research_sector/policies_issues_reviews/
key_issues/research_quality_framework/default.htm) to focus on both the
quality and impact of research.   The guidelines for evidence portfolios
for the RQF will cover non-traditional products.  
 


Evan Arthur
Group Manager
Innovation and Research Systems Group
Department of Education, Science and Training