The open access movement has gained considerable traction in the last six years.
It has become the most successful scholarly publishing reform movement in
modern times, and it has begun to transform the scholarly communication
system.
Understandably, it has been met by hostility and skepticism by traditional
publishers; however, a growing number of them are overcoming their initial
reactions, and they are testing whether open access offers them a viable business
model.
Open access has stuck a sympathetic cord in the library community, which has
long suffered the debilitating effects of the serials crisis; however, libraries have
been somewhat cautious in their embrace of open access, uncertain about its
destabilizing effects on the scholarly publishing system and its ultimate impact
on their budget and operations.
A growing number of scholars, especially in STM disciplines that have been hard
hit by high serials prices, have either become open access advocates or have been
swayed by its arguments; however, disciplines that are less dependent on journal
literature have shown less enthusiasm and many scholars still have concerns
about credibility issues associated with new digital publishing efforts and have
not yet seen that the benefits outweigh the risks and costs in terms of time and
effort (e.g., to create and deposit e-prints).
Primarily as a result of the open access movement, there is now a rare
opportunity to truly transform the scholarly communication system. There has
not been such an opportunity in living memory, and, if it is not seized, it is
unclear if there will be another one in our lifetimes. If you want change, now is
the time to act. Action does not require total agreement with the open access
movement's beliefs and proposals, but it requires an active engagement with
them. The movement is not monolithic, but diverse. Not closed, but
participatory. Not dogmatic, but argumentative as it vigorously debates its
future. It can be influenced by new voices and perspectives.
The open access movement is not the only potential solution to the serious
problems that libraries face in the conventional scholarly communication system,
but it is a very important one, and it does not require that other strategies be
abandoned. The voice of libraries needs to be heard more strongly in it.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 1/10/2006 08:42:00 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.
