Automating the Horae: Boundary-work in the age of computers

What is it about?

The paper looks at how the arXiv, an Open Access e-print server, sets boundaries of acceptability and limits what can be posted on the site. arXiv uses a combination of sophisticated computer filters in conjunction with human moderation to filter out papers that do not fit its definition of what is proper, scientific work. The firsts part of the paper describes how these filters were designed to mimic the social world of contemporary physics and gives an overview of how they are applied in practice. The second part looks at what the consequences of being 'filtered out' can be for particular authors. Finally, I summarise the findings and connect them to wider problems of Open Access implementation and policymaking.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The arXiv is the oldest and one of the largest Open Access sites of the Internet age and an indispensable tool for many scientific communities around the world. Though many bibliometric studies and a few qualitative ones of the arXiv exist, this is the first in depth analysis of arXiv 'boundary work' to be published. Open Access is one of the single biggest topics in academic and scientific policymaking, for all disciplines, of the past few years. The paper shows how a sophisticated 'green' Open Access site like arXiv can contribute to the diffusion of knowledge when it balances both discipline-specific quality control processes with flexibility.