Friends,

Ms Alexandra Elbakyan recently issued a Declaration on  Open Access to Scientific Knowledge, but it is available only in Russian. Is there anyone among the nearly 6,000 members of LIS-Forum who can get an authentic English translation

When I was teaching a course at INSDOC four decades ago, INSDOC had several high quality Russian translators. And the Soviet Embassy had two Russian teachers who taught Russian language for free and I knew them well. I left Delhi more then 28 years ago and I do not know anyone in the Russian Embassy, and INSDOC lost its identity after it was merged with two other CSIR institutions in Delhi.

Here is what I obtained from gemini.google.com, but it is only a summary. 

A Summary of Alexandra Elbakyan's Declaration on Open Access to Scientific Knowledge

Disclaimer: While I cannot provide a complete English translation of the document at this time, I can offer a detailed summary based on the information available and my understanding of the key points.

Alexandra Elbakyan's declaration is a strong advocacy for open access to scientificlp knowledge. It argues that:

Fundamental Rights and Scientific Knowledge

  • Human Right to Knowledge: Scientific knowledge is a fundamental human right, essential for progress and societal development.
  • Inequality and Paywalls: Current paywall systems create significant inequalities in access to knowledge, particularly for those in developing countries and institutions with limited resources.

The Role of Publishers

  • Profit-Driven Model: Publishers prioritize profit over the dissemination of knowledge, often charging exorbitant fees for access to research articles.
  • Author Rights: Authors should retain ownership and control over their work, rather than transferring those rights to publishers.

The Benefits of Open Access

  • Accelerated Research: Open access can accelerate scientific progress by enabling broader collaboration and faster dissemination of research findings.
  • Increased Impact: Open access articles tend to have a higher impact than those behind paywalls, as they are more widely read and cited.
  • Social Justice: Open access promotes social justice by ensuring that scientific knowledge is accessible to all, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Call to Action

  • Legal Framework: Governments should establish legal frameworks that support open access and protect the rights of authors.
  • Institutional Support: Universities, research institutions, and funding agencies should adopt policies and practices that promote open access.
  • Public Awareness: The public should be made aware of the importance of open access and the challenges faced by researchers in accessing scientific literature.

In essence, Elbakyan's declaration is a powerful statement in support of the open access movement. It calls for a fundamental shift in the way scientific knowledge is produced, disseminated, and consumed, emphasizing the importance of making research freely available to all.

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I and many others involved in the OA movement will be grateful to anyone who could provide an authentic translation of the full text of Ms Elbakyan's Declaration.

With warm regards,

Arun