On Wednesday, November 6, from 4:45 – 5:45 pm, Oya Y. Rieger is taking part in a “Hyde Park Debate” at the Charleston Conference. Oya will argue in favor of the proposition: Resolved: Preprint servers have improved the scholarly communication system.” Taking the opposing side is Kent Anderson (Caldera Publishing Solutions). Rick Anderson will serve as moderator and timekeeper. For more information and to register, please see the conference website.

From the conference website

The structure of the event follows roughly the outline of a formal Oxford Union debate: we begin the proceedings by polling the audience to determine how many agree and how many disagree with the proposition. Then our debaters take the stage: Each delivers a prepared, ten-minute statement, one arguing against the proposition, and the other in favor. Then each gives a three-minute response to the other’s statement. Then we open the floor to discussion with the audience. Following the discussion, we poll the audience again, and whichever debater has moved the most votes is declared the winner.