Open Access: An Introduction Edward Shreeves Director, Collections and Content Development University of Iowa Libraries

What is open access? Digital and online Digital and online Not feasible without the Internet Not feasible without the Internet Free of charge to readers Free of charge to readers Generous in terms of copyright and licensing restrictions Generous in terms of copyright and licensing restrictions Paid for in a variety of ways Paid for in a variety of ways

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

Open Access Publishing Maintains peer review Maintains peer review Is based on the consent of the copyright holder Is based on the consent of the copyright holder Focuses on work not expected to produce royalties (chiefly peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly research articles) Focuses on work not expected to produce royalties (chiefly peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly research articles) Recovers costs of publication from revenue sources other than subscriptions Recovers costs of publication from revenue sources other than subscriptions

Examples of open access publishing Public Library of Science—PloS Biology & PLoS Medicine Public Library of Science—PloS Biology & PLoS Medicine Non-profit started with substantial grant funding. Non-profit started with substantial grant funding. Author pays model: $1500 per article published. Author pays model: $1500 per article published. Biomed Central—numerous titles in biomedical sciences Biomed Central—numerous titles in biomedical sciences For profit publisher For profit publisher Author pays model: $500 per article published. Author pays model: $500 per article published. Both allow an institution to pay an annual subsidy to reduce or eliminate author charges. Both allow an institution to pay an annual subsidy to reduce or eliminate author charges.

Other examples of open access NIH proposal NIH proposal Articles arising from NIH funded research must be submitted for inclusion in PubMedCentral Articles arising from NIH funded research must be submitted for inclusion in PubMedCentral Six months after publication (or sooner), article will be made freely available to the public. Six months after publication (or sooner), article will be made freely available to the public. British House of Commons Report British House of Commons Report Calls for scholarly work based on government sponsored research to be available free to readers. Calls for scholarly work based on government sponsored research to be available free to readers. Calls for the development of institutional repositories to archive and make available this research. Calls for the development of institutional repositories to archive and make available this research.

More Developments Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) maintains a list attempts to keep running tally— now at Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) maintains a list attempts to keep running tally— now at Howard Hughes and Burroughs Wellcome foundations have volunteered to pay author charges for those publishing research they funded in open access journals. Howard Hughes and Burroughs Wellcome foundations have volunteered to pay author charges for those publishing research they funded in open access journals. Institutional and disciplinary repositories Institutional and disciplinary repositories Self archiving by authors Self archiving by authors

More Developments (continued) Several commercial publishers are experimenting with types of open access Several commercial publishers are experimenting with types of open access Elsevier now allows authors to archive published work on their own or an institutional web site. Elsevier now allows authors to archive published work on their own or an institutional web site. Some publishers will allow an author to pay an optional fee to allow their work to be made publicly available. Some publishers will allow an author to pay an optional fee to allow their work to be made publicly available.

Open Access movement or cause. Evangelical fervor among supporters: “Information wants to be free.” Evangelical fervor among supporters: “Information wants to be free.” Helps authors since their work is more widely available and cited Helps authors since their work is more widely available and cited Helps readers by eliminating most barriers to access Helps readers by eliminating most barriers to access Helps libraries and universities by solving the problem of high-priced STM journals Helps libraries and universities by solving the problem of high-priced STM journals

Open Access movement or cause (continued) Helps citizens by giving them access to peer- reviewed work their taxes paid for Helps citizens by giving them access to peer- reviewed work their taxes paid for Helps journal publishers by making their publications more visible and useful Helps journal publishers by making their publications more visible and useful Helps research funding agencies by disseminating the results of research they have funded Helps research funding agencies by disseminating the results of research they have funded

Opposition to open access Is vociferous and strong Is vociferous and strong Comes from commercial and society publishers, members of scholarly societies, some individual academics. Comes from commercial and society publishers, members of scholarly societies, some individual academics. Arguments con: Arguments con: Economics are unsustainable (especially author pays models) Economics are unsustainable (especially author pays models) Cost of publishing an article is underestimated Cost of publishing an article is underestimated High rejection rate for quality journals drives cost per article published up High rejection rate for quality journals drives cost per article published up Society publishers will lose revenue they count on for other purposes. Society publishers will lose revenue they count on for other purposes. Lack of access to those who need it is grossly exaggerated Lack of access to those who need it is grossly exaggerated

More arguments against Arguments con Arguments con Public (Citizens) could be harmed by, or won’t understand, scientific articles Public (Citizens) could be harmed by, or won’t understand, scientific articles Loss of editorial independence/compromise of neutrality of peer review (esp with author pays) Loss of editorial independence/compromise of neutrality of peer review (esp with author pays) Disenfranchisement of authors who cannot pay Disenfranchisement of authors who cannot pay Impulse to keep costs low will stifle innovation Impulse to keep costs low will stifle innovation Requirement by funding agencies to use open access runs counter to the free market. Requirement by funding agencies to use open access runs counter to the free market.

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