From the abstract: The convergence of dissatisfaction with traditional, subscription-based business model for scholarly communications and the development of new, digital technologies allow us to...consider the claims of new models. This paper describes the requirements of a scholarly communication system and investigates which model – subscription-based access or open access – best satisfies these requirements.
From the conclusion: In this paper we have looked at open access as a model for scholarly communications and compared it to the current subscription-based system from the viewpoint of a number of stakeholders. We have looked at how the system serves researchers (as both authors and readers), the wider readership, and publishers (both societies and commercial publishers). Table 1 summarises the differences between the two systems....It can be seen that with the exception of certification through peer-review (which is independent of business model) and the generation of large profits the open access model better meets the information needs of researchers and the wider readership. It is for this reason that an increasing number of researchers, librarians, academic institutions, research funding bodies, societies, and governments are looking to open access as a future model of scholarly communication.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 7/14/2005 03:23:00 PM.
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.
