Your Journals Are Spying On You: Research Surveillance in Library Products

Abstract

Our traditional journal vendors are transitioning from being publishers to being data analytics companies. A few of them, including RELX (Reed Elsevier + LexisNexis) have even become data brokers that sell dossiers of personal information to ICE. In this discussion, we’ll look at how companies’ research platforms are now part of larger data analytics systems, and what that means for our privacy and intellectual freedom. We’ll also think about open access projects and other efforts that could help ensure that people who use our libraries can do their research without being subjected to surveillance.