Maps as a Case Study

Open access (OA) journals are rapidly becoming an important channel for publishing academic articles (Rightscom, 2005) and, although they represent a small proportion of the total number of journals published annually, it is significant that organisations such as British Medical Journals (BMJ) operate in this manner. This article explores the broad implementation of OA journals, issues pertaining to copyright and the distribution of (geospatial) research data. Much of the material elicited in the preparation of this article was derived from experiences as editor of the Journal of Maps (JoM; http://www.journalofmaps.com) and therefore the discussion should be understood within this context. The Journal of Maps was established against the backdrop of a perceived decline in the publication of research based maps (Smith, 2005a). With the movement of print published journals towards a standardised A4 copy format, large maps are not easily publishable. The inclusion of “inserts” (folded or stitched) into journals appears to have declined over the last century (Smith, 2005a) and, with the high cost of colour printing, there is an apparent decline in research map publication. Maps are also rarely seen as a research goal in their own right, with the focus of journal publication often upon the communication of research results. JoM was therefore founded as a charity with the specific remit of publishing research maps.