Science
Related: About this forumIgnorance Squad Strikes Again: US Cancels Nature Springer Journal Subscriptions
These are very important journals for scientists.
Trump cuts subscriptions to Springer Nature journals
The cuts involving the for-profit, publicly traded Springer Natureone of the worlds largest scientific publishers, producing more than 3000 journal titleswere first reported Wednesday by Axios, without detailing specific agencies affected. Government officials have given conflicting statements about whether the cut included the companys single biggest U.S. government subscription contract, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Yesterday, Inside Higher Ed reported that NIH first said its Springer Nature subscriptions had not been canceled, but later the agencys parent department, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told the outlet they had; today, HHS provided the same statement to Science, saying all contracts are terminated or no longer active. (The White House press office did not respond to Sciences request for comment.) A Science review of the USASpending.gov database shows that earlier this month the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Energy canceled Springer Nature subscriptions for which they had committed $3 million in funding this year.
The database shows that at least seven agencies had subscription contracts this year with Springer Nature as of 17 June, for which they had planned to eventually spend up to $25 million. Of that, about half was for NIH, which does not currently appear as canceledbut the database can be up to 2 weeks out of date, and its data are considered incomplete. The National Science Foundations subscription doesnt appear in the database. But a spokesperson said today the agency continues to have a subscription.
In a statement, Springer Nature said, We dont comment on individual contracts, but across our U.S. business there is no material change to our customers or their spend, and we remain confident about the strength of the service we provide.
The cancellations were not the first of their kind by President Donald Trumps administration. In March, USDA told staff members it had canceled subscriptions carried by its National Agricultural Library to save on costs. The move covered nearly 400 of the librarys roughly 2000 journals, published by 15 organizations, most of them nonprofitbut no Springer Nature titles.
Meanwhile administration officials have criticized journals for their editorial policies. In April, the former interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, wrote journal editors asking them about concerns that more and more journals are conceding they are partisans in various scientific debates...In a statement, Springer Nature said, We dont comment on individual contracts, but across our U.S. business there is no material change to our customers or their spend, and we remain confident about the strength of the service we provide...
Apparently the illiterates in this administration of ignorant thugs thinks they are in a position to judge the value of science, although there isn't one, not one, who could pass a freshman science course.

erronis
(20,396 posts)If wilful ignorance or incipient stupidity is a hallmark of this administration, then they are guilty.
lostincalifornia
(3,699 posts)predictable.
dedl67
(38 posts)One of the blessings of the internet is that one can go to websites of journals, or Google Scholar, etc., and quickly download relevant publications, rather requesting reprints from the authors by mail or going to the stacks in the library - if it even carried the journal - as I once had to do. The Trump administration is starting to crush the ability for government scientists to access vital knowledge. This will probably extend to other journals.
SorellaLaBefana
(374 posts)Science" is the not-for-profit journal of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
https://www.science.org/journal/science
"Nature"now owned by Springeris most definitely for-profit. However it continues to maintain the high standards it has been know for
https://www.nature.com
I subscribe to both
Springer Publishing itself is more than a bit annoying. Seems like every two weeks they launch a new (for profit) journal.