Open Access—Pass the Buck

Abstract

Peer-reviewed scientific publishing serves the research community by verifying the validity of research results, disseminating the findings, and archiving them in a stable and accessible form. Over the past decade, “open access” has gained momentum as a model for scientific publishing, intended to makes results freely accessible to the scientific community and to the public on the Internet. Controversy over public access to research continues to escalate. For example, the dueling proposals recently introduced in the U.S. Congress could have reverberations worldwide: The Federal Research Public Access Act would require articles resulting from research funded by any federal agency to be made publicly available 6 months after publication, whereas the Research Works Act would prohibit such mandates.