Thursday, November 18, 2004

APA Expresses Concern over NIH Draft Policy for Public Access to Research
APA press release - "Public access to research is a worthwhile goal but the possible unintended consequences of the current NIH proposal need to be considered, said the American Psychological Association (APA) in a letter sent to NIH Director, Dr. Elias Zerhouni this week. The APA is concerned that the proposed new policy of making available newly published NIH-funded research manuscripts (within six months of publication) to other scientists, health care providers, students, teachers and consumers may have unanticipated and damaging consequences. Free access to research could create fewer publishing outlets and reduce editorial scrutiny that may sacrifice the integrity, diversity and impact of scientific results, said Steven Breckler, Ph.D., APA’s Executive Director for Science."