Universities take first step towards Elsevier boycott

Dutch universities have activated their plan to boycott Elsevier, the world’s largest academic publisher. They took the first step in recent weeks. Some universities have asked researchers who are editors or editors-in-chief of one of Elsevier’s 2,200 journals to consider resigning their positions.

This step was prompted by the continuing disagreement about a new journal contract as the current contract will expire at the end of this year. Both parties are still ‘miles apart’. The point of contention is whether or not to offer articles under open access principles.

See the article in the NRC (In Dutch through pay wall).