Get What You Pay For: a FASTR way to open access | policylab

"The Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR) is making its way through the U.S. Senate. This legislation would mandate that all federal agencies with annual research and development budgets of $100 million or more to provide the public with free online access to the results of that research within 6 months of publication. The six main agencies affected by this legislation dole out 97% of federal research funds, effectively making FASTR’s an open-access gateway to all federally-funded research. The NIH has already successfully implemented this model with the central database PubMed, where anyone can access scientific and medical research within a year of its publication.

FASTR is a necessary first step in removing boundaries that block the exchange of ideas or stifle collaboration in scientific research. Previous versions of this bill have been defeated early in the legislative process. But a growing tide of resentment towards privileged information in research, coupled with the realization of the Internet’s potential in collaborative work, have given FASTR a better chance than previous attempts. Bring on the memes, bring on the outrage, and bring on the end of a system that treats basic truths as privileged commodities."