Advice on open access models | Chief Scientist

"Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, has released a report that makes the case for free access to academic journal articles for all Australians.

Dr Foley’s model would also provide free access for anyone anywhere in the world to journal articles with an Australian-based lead author.

At the moment, most journal articles are locked behind paywalls, and only easily available to people with subscriptions, such as university staff and students. A number of countries have adopted systems that seek to provide easier access or 'open access' to a broader section of the community. 

Dr Foley's advice to Government, Advice on open access models: Unlocking knowledge for national benefit examines existing models for open access and proposes a new model – a 'public access' model.

The advice makes two recommendations:

Recommendation 1: The Australian Government should develop and implement a strategy to maximise access to academic journals for the Australian community.

Recommendation 2: The Government should undertake further analysis to develop the preferred model that will deliver the greatest benefit for Australia, from both an economic and social perspective...."