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The Closed Nature of the “Open-Access” SSRN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2019

Stephen Kruger
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Abstract

The Social Science Research Network (SSRN) offers online posting of papers on the SSRN web site. The system of posting is advertised by the SSRN as open access. Nevertheless, the SSRN hinders access to posted papers. This hindrance arises from the gatekeeper function of the SSRN system. Specifically, subjective determinations are made by the SSRN site administrators about whether posted papers should or should not be searchable by the SSRN search engine. It is difficult, sometimes impossible, to find posted papers on SSRN when a posted paper is not connected with the SSRN search engine. A posted paper which is not searchable is, in effect, not really posted, regardless of the nominal posting by the SSRN because it. Thus, the advertised open access feature of SSRN is essentially a misrepresentation by the SSRN of its true nature. The SSRN gatekeeper function is ill advised for another reason. It is doubtful that the SSRN site administrators are actually capable of distinguishing between posted papers which should benefit from the SSRN search engine, and posted papers which should not. The result: some poorly written or researched papers could be located through the SSRN search engine, while some very good papers may not be discovered through an SSRN search. Given this situation, three solutions are offered for the negation, by the SSRN, of open access to posted papers.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Legal Information , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , Winter 2013 , pp. 326 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the International Association of Law Libraries. 

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References

1 For general information about the SSRN, see Norman Otto Stockmeyer, “Do You SSRN?” (2011), available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1727484 (accessed 8/3/2013); Wikipedia, “Social Science Research Network” (n.d.), available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Science_Research_Network (accessed 8/3/2011).Google Scholar

2 “Writers” includes a wide variety of people: professors, students, lawyers, economists, and historians are just some examples of typical writers who already do or - who may in the future - post their work on SSRN.Google Scholar

3 Other views of the benefits and detriments of the SSRN are Ian Ramsay, “SSRN and Law Journals – Rivals or Allies?” (2012), available at http://ssm.com/abstract=2216351 (accessed 8/3/2013), and James Grimmelmann, “SSRN Considered Harmful” (2007), available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=965633 (accessed 8/3/2013).Google Scholar

4 Samizdat was a form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents secretly from reader to reader. This grassroots practice to evade official censorship was very dangerous. Harsh punishments were meted out to those caught possessing or copying censored materials. See, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samizdat (accessed 12/10/2013).Google Scholar

5 SSRN web site, “Social Science Research Network Frequently Asked Questions,” available at http://www.ssrn.com/update/general/ssrn_faq.html (accessed 9/20/2013).Google Scholar

6 Id.Google Scholar

7 SSRN web site, Search page, “SSRN eLibrary Statistics,” available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/-DisplayAbstractSearch.cfm (accessed 9/20/2013).Google Scholar