Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the sharing of published research articles, specifically regarding the policies of Elsevier and platforms like Researchgate and arXiv. Participants explore the implications of publishing agreements on digital distribution and the best practices for making research accessible for free.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant expresses interest in uploading their published article to Researchgate and seeks guidance on the best approach.
- Another participant questions the publishing agreement with Elsevier and its implications for digital distribution.
- A participant mentions that sharing for academic purposes may be permissible under the publishing agreement, suggesting it could be fine to upload to Researchgate.
- One suggestion is made to submit the article to arXiv if allowed, noting that many journals permit this.
- A participant shares their experience that more citations and inquiries are received after posting to arXiv compared to the original journal publication.
- Another participant congratulates the original poster and mentions that their work is automatically uploaded to Researchgate, indicating a belief that sharing PDFs of one's own work is generally acceptable under 'fair use', barring embargoes.
- A caution is raised regarding the distinction between sharing pre-prints and published versions, highlighting that not all journals allow the latter due to copyright concerns.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express varying views on the permissibility of sharing published work, with some suggesting it is generally acceptable while others emphasize the need to adhere to specific journal policies. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact conditions under which sharing is allowed.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include the variability of publishing agreements across different journals, the potential for embargoes, and the differing policies regarding pre-prints versus published versions.