Here's an update I just sent to several discussion lists on the petition to the European Commission for guaranteed public access to publicly-funded research results. Excerpt:
As of this morning, there were 18,476 signatures (in the 24 days since the petition was launched on January 14).
The petition welcomes signatures from any individual or institution but especially from European researchers and European research institutions. Please help by signing the petition yourself, asking your institution to sign as an institution, and spreading the word.
Here are some of the notable institutional signatures:
* European research funders
Association of Medical Research Charities (UK) Austrian Science Fund British Heart Foundation CNRS (Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique) European Research Council Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft (German Research Foundation) INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique) Max Planck Society Medical Research Council (UK) Spanish National Research Council Volkswagen Foundation Wellcome Trust
* European university associations
Assocation of Swedish Higher Education Conference of Italian University Rectors Finnish Council of University Rectors Hochschulrektorenconferenz (Germany) Irish Universities Association Portuguese Rectors Conference
* National academies in Europe
Academia Romana (Romanian Academy) Hungarian Academy of Sciences Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Royal Flemish Academy of Arts and Sciences Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Royal Scientific Society of Jordan Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History & Antiquities Schweizerische Akademie der Geistes- und Socialwissenschaften
* European research institutions other than universities
Brain Health Centre, Rome CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research) CNRS-Paris Descartes Laboratory BESSY (German Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre) DESY (German Electron Synchrotron: Helmholtz Association) Herder Institute, Marburg IFO Institute for Economic Research, Munich Istituto Superiore di Sanita (National Institute of Health, Italy) Istituto Universitario di Scienze Motorie, Rome Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) Netherlands Space Research Institute Nordic Cochrane Centre RWI Essen (Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung)
* European universities
National Pedagogical University, Lithuania Università degli Studi del Molise Università degli Studi della Tuscia Viterbo Università degli Studi di Messina Università degli Studi di Teramo Università degli Studi di Torino Universidad de Huelva University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara University of Bristol University of Cyprus University of Genoa University of Ghent University of Giessen University of Göteborg University of Goettingen University of Groningen University of Konstanz University of Kristianstad University of Liege University of London Birkbeck College University of London Royal Holloway College University of London School of Advanced Study University of Lund University of Macerata University of Minho University of Naples 'Parthenope' University of Porto University of Southampton University of Stockholm University of Strathclyde University of Twente University of Umea University of Westminster University of Wolverhampton University of Zurich
* European research organizations
ERCIM (European Research Consortium for Information and Mathematics) ESIB (National Unions of Students in Europe) euroCRIS (European Organisation for Current Research Information Systems) European Educational Research Association Euroscience (European Association for the Advancement of Science & Technology) World Academy of Young Scientists
Kudos to the petition organizers for generating this remarkable response. The voice of the European research community is coming through loud and clear.
Update. Here are a few more notable institutional signatories:
Cybertheses (Francophone and multilingual network of storage and publication of ETD in OA)
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions
Open University
Presses Universitaires de Lyon
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Posted by
Peter Suber at 2/07/2007 10:24:00 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.
