Commission launches consultation on open access to scientific information

The European Commission is seeking views on how to improve access to online scientific data, as the price of journals continues to escalate and the volume of data balloons.

The consultation is a joint initiative of European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes, and Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. They want to ensure European researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs have easy and fast access to scientific information, and can compete on an equal footing with their counterparts across the world.

While modern high-speed digital networks are important in facilitating access, there are problems, in particular high and rising subscriptions for scientific journals, an ever-growing volume of scientific data, and the need to select, curate and preserve research outputs.

The Commission says open access – that is free access to research data over the Internet, can help address this. Scientists, research funding organisations, universities, and other interested parties are asked for their ideas on how to improve access to scientific information. The consultation closes on 9 September 2011.

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, said that as a matter of principle the  results of publicly-funded research should be circulated as widely as possible. “The broad dissemination of knowledge, within the European Research Area and beyond, is a key driver of progress in research and innovation, and thus for jobs and growth in Europe.”

The Commission’s vision is to provide Open Access to scientific information, “So that all of us benefit as much as possible from investments in science.” This is not only to accelerate scientific progress, but also for education, innovation and for creative re-use. “For the same reason we must preserve scientific records for future generations,” Kroes added.

The Commission wants suggestions on:

• how scientific articles could become more accessible to researchers and society at large;
• how research data can be made widely available and how it could be re-used;
• how permanent access to digital content can be ensured and what barriers are preventing the preservation of scientific output.