CERN has created a home page for the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP3). It includes this succinct statement of the consortium's plan:
Today: (funding bodies through) libraries buy journal subscriptions to support the peer-review service and to allow their patrons to read articles.
Tomorrow: funding bodies and libraries contribute to the consortium, which pays centrally for the peer-review service. Articles are free to read for everyone.
The page links to background information and documents on the project, and will soon include an FAQ.
It also includes this piece of news, which I haven't yet blogged:
The rectors and council chairmen of Greek Universities confirm the participation of the Greek academic community to SCOAP3. The financial support will be covered by the Greek Library Association's budget, completed by the participating universities.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 11/09/2007 08:51:00 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.
