Technology is slowly allowing scientists to take information distribution back into their own hands as demonstrated by OpenWetWare.org. Not only does it allow researchers to publish bits of information that do not fit in with the conventional channels of journals but it also serves as a platform to interact with other researchers in an environment that is not owned by a profit-seeking company.
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.
