"If more research outcomes were made open access, it would spread the knowledge more broadly, in contrast to the present system of expensive and effectively closed subscription-based journals," said [University of Sydney head librarian, John Shipp].
Open access through the development of a national system of repositories in university libraries, such as has just been recommended by a major [Australian] Federal Government report, would find broad support from university librarians.
The Department of Education, Science and Training's report, 'Research Communication Costs in Australia, Emerging Opportunities and Benefits'. found that if a comprehensive reporting system aimed at improving research efficiency was adopted...benefits of around $4 billion could be realised. Such a national system could be expected to cost about $130 million over 20 years.
The report was authored by ANU Emeritus Professor Colin Steele and Victoria University Centre for Strategic Economic Studies academics, Professors John Houghton and Peter Sheehan.
The report is likely to find broad appeal. Prime Minister John Howard, Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop and Chief Scientist Dr Jim Peacock have all recently stressed the imperative for publicly-funded research to be applied to the benefit of the public....
Co-author Houghton told Campus Review the report shows scholarly communications activities alone cost around $3.6 billion a year or about 30 per cent of total higher education spending....
The report found the potential impacts of enhanced access were likely to be substantial since a 5 per cent efficiency increase on gross national R&D spending would be worth $628 million.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 10/23/2006 10:50:00 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.
