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Open access debate (USA) - latest developments

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Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Here are a couple of articles with the latest news about the open access debate in the USA.
The debate revolves around whether government-funded studies should be openly published, with immediate free access.

There's some good news in the first article...

Lawmakers Drop Proposal to Block NIH Public Access Policy
28 February 2012
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/02/lawmakers-drop-proposal-to-block.html?ref=em

Gulf on Open Access to Federally Financed Research
February 27, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/s...en-access-to-federally-financed-research.html
 
B

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Here is a quote from UK government minister, David Willets, taken from a new Guardian article (Published 1st May 2012), talking about UK government's aims for Open Access publishing:

We want to harness new technologies to enable people to comment and rate published papers in ways that were not possible before, and we want to develop new online channels that enable researchers from around the world to collaborate and share data and build new research partnerships. With Jimmy Wales's help, I'm confident that we can achieve all this and much more.

Our commitment to open up access to academic research will help strengthen this information revolution, and put more data and power in the hands of people.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/01/open-free-access-academic-research
Click to expand...


I've underlined the bit about the public being able to rate published papers... That will create a lot of conversation and controversy, to say the least!
 
B

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
B

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
UK government minister reports on government's plans for open access.

We cannot afford to keep research locked in ivory towers
Opening up British research may seem obvious. But it is not just inertia that blocks this

...

So we are determined to provide a general right-to-roam to those who have paid for cutting-edge research through their taxes, but on a sustainable financial model. This will take time to deliver in full, but the single biggest change is just taking effect. The majority of the government's direct spending on research is routed through the seven research councils and on Monday they implemented a revised open access policy. Academics funded by the research councils are expected to publish in open journals.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/political-science/2013/apr/09/open-access-scientific-publishing-peer-review-scientific-publishing
Click to expand...

And here is the webpage for the new RCUK guidance...

RCUK publishes further revisions to guidance on Open Access:
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/media/news/2013news/Pages/130408.aspx


(I haven't read the new RCUK guidelines yet. Placing it here for reference.)
 
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