Until now, the Amedeo Challenge, which pays physicians to write OA medical textbooks, has only recruited large sponsors to underwrite the costs. But Vaughan Bell thought the idea would spread faster if it also solicited small sponsors. Excerpt from his post to Mind Hacks:
I've emailed [Bernd Sebastian] Kamps to suggest a small donations system for individuals to donate towards a 'running bounty' for any book of their choice. I'd happily donate 50 euros knowing that it would contribute towards the development of a high-quality, open-access psychiatry, neurology or neuropsychology textbook. If you'd like the opportunity to do something similar, contact the project and suggest the same. It seems like many small donations could create large bounties in a relatively small amount of time.
UPDATE: Good news! I just got the following back from Bernd Sebastian Kamps:
Thank you for your suggestion: Your idea is brilliant (I had never thought of asking for small contributions).
We'll open the PayPal account next week and by the end of the month, everything should be in place. I'll keep you informed.
Comment. This will not only raise more money for OA medical books but help create books that respond to unmet needs. For example, it could be very helpful to the world of orphan diseases.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 3/03/2006 10:43:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
