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Revolution in the wings: recent developments in Open Access research
Citation
Sale, A, Revolution in the wings: recent developments in Open Access research, Australian Quarterly, 84, (4) pp. 3-11. ISSN 1443-3605 (2013) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2013 Australian Quarterly
Official URL: http://www.aips.net.au/aq-magazine/
Abstract
Research advances because scientists, social scientists, researchers and scholars generally share their work, right? Well actually no, or rather it is a half-truth. For about 200 years, the research literature has been largely restricted behind a pay-barrier. Prior to that, research articles were shared freely through correspondence, though seminal books like The Origin of Species did not, because of print cost. Since then research has been restricted with the invention of the print journal and recovery of costs via subscriptions imposed on readers.
Most researchers in the West are oblivious to this, because their universities or labs pay for the subscriptions they need, totalling many millions of dollars per institution. Articles look free to them. But no university can afford to buy all of the world’s research literature, so researchers don’t know what they can’t or don’t see. Worse, less developed countries are discriminated against because they can see even less, and we also suffer because we cannot see what they are doing either. Research is in a mess. A revolution is in the wings.
The Internet could solve this problem tomorrow, but it doesn’t. The story of this article is that of recent advances.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Research Division: | Human Society |
Research Group: | Policy and administration |
Research Field: | Research, science and technology policy |
Objective Division: | Information and Communication Services |
Objective Group: | Media services |
Objective Field: | Publishing and print services |
UTAS Author: | Sale, A (Professor Arthur Sale) |
ID Code: | 89882 |
Year Published: | 2013 |
Deposited By: | Information and Communication Technology |
Deposited On: | 2014-03-18 |
Last Modified: | 2018-05-04 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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