Scholarly Communication : Open Access : IAP statement on access to scientific information. On December 4, the Interacademy Panel on International Issues (IAP) issued a statement on Access to Scientific Information. Excerpts:

Access to the vast and varied literature that has been generated by scientific research, and to the numerical data that are being collected in public research endeavours, is essential to advances in human health, improvements in agriculture, and the preservation of the natural environment that sustains our life. It is also critical for the creation of new technologies that benefit humankind. In addition, scientific knowledge facilitates our understanding of our place in the universe.

Yet most scientists and research laboratories in developing countries cannot afford the journal subscriptions, or have to pay for access to the databases that exist in more economically advanced nations. All nations must have access to the accumulation of scientific knowledge in order to work toward a better future for all people. [...]

The InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP), recognizing that many efforts in this regard are under way worldwide and that the business models of scientific publishers need to be taken into consideration, recommends that:

1/. electronic access to journal content be made available worldwide without cost as soon as possible, within one year or less of publication for scientists in industrialized nations, and immediately upon publication for scientists in developing countries;
2/. journal content and, to the extent possible, data upon which research is based, be prepared and presented in a standard format for electronic distribution to facilitate ease of use;
3/. journal content be archived collectively, either by private or government organizations;
4/. governments and publishers work together to raise awareness, in the scientific community, of the availability of free electronic access to scientific journals;
5/. scientific databases obtained by intergovernmental organizations (for example in meteorology and epidemiology) be made available without cost or restrictions on reuse.

The statement does not mention "open access". The IAP is a consortium of 90 science academies from around the world. [Open Access News]

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