AAUP Statement on Open Access

[Sandy Thatcher <sgt3@psu.edu>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brenna McLaughlin
212-989-1010 x24, bmclaughlin@aaupnet.org

AAUP RELEASES STATEMENT ON OPEN ACCESS
Nonprofit Scholarly Publishers Call for Exploration of Open Access
Models to Improve Scholarly Communications

NEW YORK (February 27, 2007) - Discussions of the concept of open 
access to scholarly information are increasingly marked by highly 
charged rhetoric and an unfortunate polarization of opinion. The 
Association of American University Presses (AAUP) released a 
statement today outlining the association's perspective on what 
has become known as open access, and hopes to help steer the 
debate towards productive solutions that will best serve the 
entire scholarly community.

Read the complete statement online at:
http://aaupnet.org/aboutup/issues/oa/statement.pdf

Until quite recently, the debate has centered on one type of 
scholarly literature, scientific, technical, and medical (STM) 
journal articles, and one particular definition, entirely 
free-to-user, of "open access." AAUP believes that the 
conversation should expand to address the different creation and 
distribution needs of scholarly literature in all fields and 
formats, including monographs, and to consider a variety of 
models for providing open access-all of which entail risks and 
benefits to the entire system of scholarly communications that 
are not yet fully understood.

Knowledge carries costs for its production, and requires-in 
addition to the scholar's own work-knowledgeable editorial 
selection and careful vetting, and-regardless of a final digital 
or print format-quality in copyediting, design, production, and 
distribution. Many universities and scholarly societies have made 
significant investments in their presses and in the professional 
expertise of publishing staffs in order to support the spread of 
knowledge worldwide. Changing the system of scholarly 
communications requires us to take careful stock of the costs of 
doing so-not just for presses, but for parent universities, 
scholarly societies and their members, and all other universities 
and research institutions that benefit from the distribution of 
scholarship.

The AAUP recognizes that non-profit scholarly publishers have an 
obligation to confront the economic, legal, technological, and 
philosophical challenges to the existing system. Indeed, while 
proud of their past achievements, university presses and 
scholarly societies have never been averse to change. Being 
embedded in the culture of higher education that values 
experimentation and advances in knowledge, presses have been open 
to new ways of facilitating scholarly communications. Many AAUP 
members have begun experimenting with varieties of open access 
that seek to balance the mission of scholarly exchange with its 
costs. The AAUP and its member presses welcome the opportunity to 
participate with all willing partners to expand and strengthen 
scholarly communications, to serve our mission and to improve the 
system for all.

The complete statement is online at: 
http://aaupnet.org/aboutup/issues/oa/statement.pdf

The Association of American University Presses (AAUP) is a 
membership organization representing 112 not-for-profit scholarly 
publishers in the United States and an additional 15 
international scholarly publishers. These publishers are 
affiliated with research universities, scholarly societies, 
foundations, museums, and other research institutions. The 
mission of AAUP members is to serve an effective and creative 
system of scholarly communications and advance the knowledge of 
all peoples through their publications. The AAUP assists our 
members' fulfillment of this mission through services and 
advocacy.

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Brenna McLaughlin
Communications Manager
Association of American University Presses
71 West 23rd Street, 901
New York, NY 10010
212-989-1010, x24
212-989-0275 fax
bmclaughlin@aaupnet.org
http://aaupnet.org

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