Publicly funded research

[Subbiah Arunachalam <arun@mssrf.res.in>]

Recently I received this on the mail:

While I don't believe the US government can dictate WHERE something is
published, I do believe it has every right and even an obligation (to the
public health if nothing else) to dictate the conditions of how the
published research that comes out of grants it funds.  Specifically, it
could require that all of it be made available to the public free, as
Medline is now.  I believe it is such a big player (the elephant in the
living room?) that it could make such a requirement stick.  Sure, JAMA can
get it "first" (or Nature or Science), but then it also becomes available
elsewhere.  If publishers don't like it, then so much the better for open
access journals.

Harvey Brenneise
Michigan Public Health Institute
hbrenne@mphi.org
---

I agree. Results of all publicly funded research - whether funded by US
Govt or Pakistani Govt or Cuban Govt - should be made available free.
Surely, the governments have a right to pass suitable legislation.

Arun