Open Access:Open Access:An IntroductionAn Introduction

Edward ShreevesEdward ShreevesDirector, Collections and Content DevelopmentDirector, Collections and Content Development

University of Iowa LibrariesUniversity of Iowa Librariesedward-shreeves@uiowa.eduedward-shreeves@uiowa.edu

What is open access?What is open access?

Digital and onlineDigital and online Not feasible without the InternetNot feasible without the Internet Free of charge to readersFree of charge to readers Generous in terms of copyright and Generous in terms of copyright and

licensing restrictionslicensing restrictions Paid for in a variety of waysPaid for in a variety of ways

Budapest Open Access Budapest Open Access Initiative definitionInitiative definition

"By 'open access' . . . we mean … free "By 'open access' . . . we mean … free availability on the public internet, permitting availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited." be properly acknowledged and cited."

Open Access PublishingOpen Access Publishing

Maintains peer reviewMaintains peer review Is based on the consent of the copyright Is based on the consent of the copyright

holderholder Focuses on work not expected to Focuses on work not expected to

produce royalties (chiefly peer-reviewed produce royalties (chiefly peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly research articles)scientific and scholarly research articles)

Recovers costs of publication from Recovers costs of publication from revenue sources other than revenue sources other than subscriptionssubscriptions

Examples of open access Examples of open access publishingpublishing

Public Library of Science—PloS Biology & Public Library of Science—PloS Biology & PLoS MedicinePLoS Medicine Non-profit started with substantial grant Non-profit started with substantial grant

funding.funding. Author pays model: $1500 per article published.Author pays model: $1500 per article published.

Biomed Central—numerous titles in Biomed Central—numerous titles in biomedical sciencesbiomedical sciences For profit publisherFor profit publisher Author pays model: $500 per article published.Author pays model: $500 per article published.

Both allow an institution to pay an annual Both allow an institution to pay an annual subsidy to reduce or eliminate author subsidy to reduce or eliminate author charges.charges.

Other examples of open Other examples of open access access

NIH proposal NIH proposal Articles arising from NIH funded research must Articles arising from NIH funded research must

be submitted for inclusion in PubMedCentral be submitted for inclusion in PubMedCentral Six months after publication (or sooner), article Six months after publication (or sooner), article

will be made freely available to the public.will be made freely available to the public. British House of Commons ReportBritish House of Commons Report

Calls for scholarly work based on government Calls for scholarly work based on government sponsored research to be available free to sponsored research to be available free to readers.readers.

Calls for the development of institutional Calls for the development of institutional repositories to archive and make available this repositories to archive and make available this research.research.

More DevelopmentsMore Developments Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

maintains a list attempts to keep running maintains a list attempts to keep running tally—now at 1345.tally—now at 1345.

Howard Hughes and Burroughs Howard Hughes and Burroughs Wellcome foundations have volunteered Wellcome foundations have volunteered to pay author charges for those to pay author charges for those publishing research they funded in open publishing research they funded in open access journals.access journals.

Institutional and disciplinary repositoriesInstitutional and disciplinary repositories Self archiving by authorsSelf archiving by authors

More Developments More Developments (continued)(continued)

Several commercial publishers are Several commercial publishers are experimenting with types of open experimenting with types of open accessaccess Elsevier now allows authors to archive Elsevier now allows authors to archive

published work on their own or an published work on their own or an institutional web site.institutional web site.

Some publishers will allow an author to Some publishers will allow an author to pay an optional fee to allow their work pay an optional fee to allow their work to be made publicly available.to be made publicly available.

Open Access movement Open Access movement or cause. or cause.

Evangelical fervor among supporters: Evangelical fervor among supporters: “Information wants to be free.”“Information wants to be free.”

Helps authors since their work is more Helps authors since their work is more widely available and citedwidely available and cited

Helps readers by eliminating most Helps readers by eliminating most barriers to accessbarriers to access

Helps libraries and universities by Helps libraries and universities by solving the problem of high-priced solving the problem of high-priced STM journalsSTM journals

Open Access movement or Open Access movement or cause (continued)cause (continued)

Helps citizens by giving them access Helps citizens by giving them access to peer-reviewed work their taxes to peer-reviewed work their taxes paid forpaid for

Helps journal publishers by making Helps journal publishers by making their publications more visible and their publications more visible and usefuluseful

Helps research funding agencies by Helps research funding agencies by disseminating the results of research disseminating the results of research they have funded they have funded

Opposition to open Opposition to open accessaccess

Is vociferous and strongIs vociferous and strong Comes from commercial and society Comes from commercial and society

publishers, members of scholarly societies, publishers, members of scholarly societies, some individual academics.some individual academics.

Arguments con:Arguments con: Economics are unsustainable (especially author Economics are unsustainable (especially author

pays models)pays models) Cost of publishing an article is underestimatedCost of publishing an article is underestimated High rejection rate for quality journals drives cost High rejection rate for quality journals drives cost

per article published upper article published up Society publishers will lose revenue they count on Society publishers will lose revenue they count on

for other purposes.for other purposes. Lack of access to those who need it is grossly Lack of access to those who need it is grossly

exaggeratedexaggerated

More arguments againstMore arguments against

ArgumentsArguments con con Public (Citizens) could be harmed by, or won’t Public (Citizens) could be harmed by, or won’t

understand, scientific articles understand, scientific articles Loss of editorial independence/compromise of Loss of editorial independence/compromise of

neutrality of peer review (esp with author neutrality of peer review (esp with author pays)pays)

Disenfranchisement of authors who cannot Disenfranchisement of authors who cannot paypay

Impulse to keep costs low will stifle innovationImpulse to keep costs low will stifle innovation Requirement by funding agencies to use open Requirement by funding agencies to use open

access runs counter to the free market. access runs counter to the free market.

Some websites Some websites for further informationfor further information

http://http://www.soros.org/openaccesswww.soros.org/openaccess// http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/

bethesda.htmbethesda.htm http://http://www.publiclibraryofscience.orgwww.publiclibraryofscience.org// http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/information.ahttp://www.biomedcentral.com/info/information.a

spsp http://www.doaj.org/http://www.doaj.org/ http://www.arl.org/scomm/open_access/framing.hhttp://www.arl.org/scomm/open_access/framing.h

tmltml http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/

cmsctech.htmcmsctech.htm