---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:24:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Subbiah Arunachalam <subbiah_a@yahoo.com> To: "lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in" <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.” --- 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