Open Access: The Story so Far

"The ability to gain access to scientific literature varies by who you are and where you work, so your reaction to the phrase 'open access' is likely to vary as well. Faculty members at large research universities often have seamless access to thousands of papers via their libraries’ collections, while those at smaller schools may have a more limited choice of books and journals. Researchers outside of academia may have subscriptions through employers or professional societies, or they may use pay-per-view options as needed. Others may have access only by direct appeal to authors or publishers. As a reader, if you can get what you need when you need it, without barriers or hardship, you are unlikely to think too much about open access. As a researcher, you may be concerned about open access only when your funding sources have a say in how you publish your results, or you may equate papers that are freely available as having a better chance at citation. But all indicators point to changes ahead for every researcher, reader, institution, and publisher as open access initiatives and mandates continue to transform scholarly publishing ..."