Abstract
Scholarly publishing is central to the efficiency of research, dissemination of research findings and diffusion of scientific and technical knowledge. Studies however reported that gaining access to published research findings is still a problem due to the increasing costs of journal subscription, a system protected by copyright law. This chapter briefly explains open access and explores its strengths and weaknesses. It further explains why the UK accepted the Finch Report recommendations to encourage innovations by enabling more people to read and use research publications. This chapter emphasizes that the benefit of open access policy as an incentive to enhance innovation must be encountered with caution as it will bring varying implications for different countries and disciplines. It also argues that although those involved in scholarly publishing have the right to be fairly compensated, they also have the moral obligation to ensure its dissemination for the benefit of public interest.
TopBackground
The advancement in technology has created various opportunities for companies and countries to change their strategies in research and dissemination of knowledge. Technology has also decrease operating cost, time spent, resources as well as the labour needed to do certain work. Through digital transmission of work, it brings about the ease of reproduction, dissemination and storage (Peters, 2008). At the same time, technology also raises competitiveness across geographical boundaries. Such phenomena can be explained in the development of open access approach to scholarly works.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Green Open Access Model: An open access model which is also called self-archived model where articles were deposited in an institutional repository or subject repository.
Budapest Open Access Initiative: An initiative established to respond to growing demands to make research free and available to anyone with computer and internet connection.
Repository: A central location in which data is stored and managed.
Gold Open Access Model: An open access model which is also called Open Access Journal where authors or institutions pay for their research articles to be published in the open access journal.
Publication: The act or process of producing a literary work and making it available to the public.
Research: The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
Copyright: The exclusive right to use, reproduce, publish, license, or exploit any copyright work for certain period of time.
Finch Report: A Working Group in consultation with universities, research institutions, researchers and publishers examining ways to expanding access to published research findings established in the UK.