Christopher Frenz, Voice Your Opinion to the NIH, Linux Journal, March 1, 2005. Excerpt: 'NIH's new policy is set to go into effect in May 2005, and while it represents a step in the right direction, it still is a far cry from a true open access requirement. In addition to being an optional program, the program also allows articles to be delayed for up to a year before they can appear freely, in order to protect the interests of the publisher....The original proposal had called for a mandatory program that would require all NIH-funded studies to be archived within a period of six months....[A]s believers in the ideals of openness and freedom, we as Linux enthusiasts should rally behind the cause of open access to scientific literature. Doing so provides us with yet another forum for showing the world how the free exchange of ideas and information can benefit us all. In order to voice your support of open access to the National Institutes of Health, e-mail comments can be sent to PublicAccess@nih.gov. Alternatively, you also can write to your local Congressman or Senator in support of open access, as NIH's open access plans were presented to Congress at the end of 2004. Congressional contact information can be found at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, respectively.' (PS: Good analysis and advice. Just one suggestion: it's easier to find contact info for members of Congress through Congress Merge than through house.gov and senate.gov.)
Posted by
Peter Suber at 3/01/2005 08:40:00 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.
