Open Access reveals itself as a new disruptive technology | CILIP

"Open Access (OA) to research literature, as both a concept and a movement, has been with us for many years – so how can it be described as new? In 2002 the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) set out the principles of Open Access to research literature.  The statement, re-endorsed in 2012, is long and radical.  A more concise definition is provided by Peter Suber: Open Access literature is “digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions”. Open Access, in both its Green and Gold forms, is generally accepted by the scholarly community.  Major influencers and funders (such as HEFCE and the EU) are now committed to increasing the range of Open Access.  The EU for instance is funding an important research project, Open Access Policy Alignment Strategies for European Union Research (PASTEUR4OA).  The project has identified the critical elements of policies that increase OA availability.  It is to be expected that funders’ policies throughout Europe will become increasingly aligned and harmonised to reflect the findings of PASTEUR4OA, thus increasing the range of OA. Following Open Access to the research literature, Open Access to the data created or assembled in the research process has moved centre stage for funders such as the EU and international bodies such as the OECD.  The OECD stresses the economic importance of Open Data in ..."