Open Access to Harvard Research | Harvard Library

"After reading a journal article on the transgender community in Iran from Harvard’s open-access collections, an anonymous reader writes: 'I happen to belong the population of this study, namely a genetic male, gender-fluid Iranian. I wish more research was done in this area. It was very heartwarming to know that academia is not oblivious to our plight.'

Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) is a free repository of peer-reviewed articles by Harvard faculty and researchers, available to anyone with internet access. From a single mother in Pakistan to a public health researcher in South Africa, personal notes populate an interactive map revealing stories from users around the world—many from countries that restrict access to the free flow of information.

'Open access increases the relevance of research to a greater audience,' says Kyle K. Courtney, program manager and copyright advisor at the Harvard Library Office for Scholarly Communication. By removing price and permission barriers from peer-reviewed articles, knowledge that was once the privilege of the elite is available to everyone.

Without the benefits of a well-funded university or the financial resources to subscribe themselves, learners are barred from high-quality research; many schools, universities, libraries and independent researchers do not have the budget to pay for their own journal subscriptions. This leaves many people unable to find the information they need to complete their education, make healthcare decisions, or craft legislative policy.

 A vast network of students, educators, politicians, legislators, and journalists from 238 countries have downloaded over 10 million articles from DASH. While each story is unique, users share common barriers to learning: government censorship, cost, geography, childcare, and health issues."