---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:24:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Subbiah Arunachalam
To: "lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in"
Friends:
The Open Access movement is gaining momentum.
Here is what the European Science Academies want!
12.04.2012 - UNESCO
Open Science for the 21st Century: Declaration of All European Academies
At its 13th General Assembly, ALLEA, the umbrella organization of European
Academies of Science, adopted a joint declaration on Open Science for the
21st Century. The Presidents urge science funders to implement open
science principles for publications, research data, software educational
resources and research infrastructures. They ask scientists, educators and
students to embrace a culture of open science where sharing of
publications and data is the norm, enabling scientific collaboration in
Europe and beyond. The document quotes article 27 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights that speaks about the “right to share in
scientific advancement and its benefits”, and mentions the relevance of
UNESCO’s Charter for the Preservation of the Digital Heritage, adopted
in 2003.
European Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who is responsible for the Digital
Agenda, welcomed the ALLEA Declaration. With the ever-increasing
production of data – the scientific community now produces every year a
collection of data that is 20 times as large as the entire collection of
the Library of Congress - we have entered into the era of open science.
Big data need new forms of cooperation, for which the European Commission
looks far beyond the borders of the European Union. Scientific results
achieved under the new Horizon 2020 Programme will all be published in
open access, and will benefit science in the whole world: “Let’s
invest in the collaborative tools that let us progress. Let’s tear down
the walls that keep learning sealed off. Let’s make science open, and
not only science but also our way of thinking.”
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Please read this leader in The Economist of 14 April 2012.
http://www.economist.com/node/21552574;
Academic publishing
Open sesame
When research is funded by the taxpayer or by charities, the results should be available to all without charge.
It argues clearly why open access should be adopted and why governments and others who fund research should mandate open access to all publicly-funded research. It also exposes the greed of commercial publishers of science journals who make as much as 37% profit - unheard of in any other industry.
Arun
