Re: Mandating OA around the corner?

[Stevan Harnad <harnad@ecs.soton.ac.uk>]

     ** apologies for cross-posting **
   
[I have now seen the report, and the positive rumour indeed proved
correct!]
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmsctech/399/39909.htm

**Written July 19, posted July 20 2004**

I am at the Barcelona 2004 Forum on the biology of conflict and
cooperation
http://www.barcelona2004.org/eng/eventos/dialogos/ficha.cfm?IdEvento=164
so I have not seen the UK Select Committee Report (embargoed till
tomorrow, July 20, four hours from now).

But if the rumour is false that it will only recommend support for OA
publishing,

    "Stephen Pincock <stephenpincock@blueyonder.co.uk>"
    http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/3836.html

and the rumour is true that it will also recommend mandating the
self-archiving of all UK-funded research, then the outcome could not have
been better -- though it could have come 10 years earlier!

    "June 27 2004: The 1994 "Subversive Proposal" at 10"
    http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/3809.html
    http://www.arl.org/scomm/subversive/toc.html

Mandated self-archiving for UK-funded research output had been precisely
what our own written testimony (with Tony Hey, Charles Oppenheim, and
numerous other co-signatories) had recommended:

    http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Temp/ukparl.html
    http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Temp/ukparl.doc

And this UK recommendation would perfectly complement the steps NIH is
beginning to take in the same direction in the US:

    "Re: Mandating OA around the corner?"
    http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/3851.html
    http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/3854.html

Now the recommendation needs only implementation:

    http://www.eprints.org/signup/sign.php

and then I *guarantee* that all the rest of the OA dominoes will rapidly
fall, worldwide.

Best wishes,

Stevan Harnad