Apologies for Cross-posting
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As you may be aware, the UK House of Commons Science and Technology
Committee have published their report "Scientific Publications: Free for
all?", today (Tuesday 20th July). I am sending you BioMed Central's response
press release which I believe will be of interest to readers of this list.
If you have any questions, please let me know.

Natasha Robshaw
BioMed Central

================================================================
Press release
For immediate release 20 July 2004
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BioMed Central - The Open Access publisher
http://www.biomedcentral.com
================================================================
Contact: Gemma Bradley
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7631 9931
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
================================================================

Scientific Publications: Time for change

Changes in scientific publishing are "necessary as a matter
of urgency" and everyone should have free, open access to UK
research findings. So says the UK House of Commons Science &
Technology Committee in their report on scientific
publishing, published today.

Vitek Tracz, Chairman of the Open Access publisher BioMed
Central said: "We welcome this important and
forward-looking report which marks the beginning of a new
era. Change is essential for science and will benefit
society."

Crucially, the report recommends that UK research funding
bodies mandate free access to all their research findings.
"This will lead to a profound change in the way that
scientific literature is published, and validates the
author-pays 'Open Access' publishing model which we at
BioMed Central pioneered," Tracz remarked.

The Committee urge the UK Government to "act as a proponent
for change" and "lead by example".

Some UK funders have already shown great support for the
Open Access publishing model. By signing agreements with
BioMed Central, JISC and NHS England have made it possible
for many UK researchers to publish free of charge in Open
Access journals.

The Committee recommends that UK Research Councils follow
this lead and make funds available to pay author charges.
This would mean that all publicly funded UK researchers
would be able to make their research findings Open Access,
at no cost to themselves. "This support will help to ensure
the success of the author-pays model of publishing," said
Tracz.

To improve access to research findings in the short term,
the Committee have called for all UK higher education
institutions to "establish institutional repositories on
which their published output can be stored and from which it
can be read, free of charge, online". In addition, they ask
Research Councils to "mandate their funded researchers to
deposit a copy of all their articles in their institutional
repository [...] as a condition of their grant".

Natasha Robshaw, BioMed Central's Sales and Marketing
manager said: "All the research we publish is already
immediately archived in the Open Access repository, PubMed
Central. As a service to authors, we will automatically
deposit research from UK researchers that is published in
our journals in these institutional repositories, once they
are set up. This will take the responsibility away from the
researchers, with immediate benefit for readers."

Access to scientific research is an international issue. The
Committee's conclusions have been published just as the US
House of Representatives has made a similar recommendation
that research funded by National Institutes for Health (NIH)
should be freely available. Also, the European Commission is
currently conducting a study on scientific publications.

"This is the point of no return," said Tracz. "It is now
time for the publishing model to change."

 # # #

The report, entitled "Scientific Publications: Free for
all?" is a result of the UK House of Commons Science &
Technology Committee's inquiry into scientific publications
that has investigated pricing, access and availability
issues. This can be read online at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmsctech/399/3990
2.htm

Further information about the inquiry is available on our
inquiry web page
(http://www.biomedcentral.com/openaccess/inquiry/)

# # #

Press Office Contact:
Gemma Bradley
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7631 9931
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

About BioMed Central
BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com) is an
independent online publishing house committed to providing
immediate access without charge to the peer-reviewed
biological and medical research it publishes. This
commitment is based on the view that open access to research
is essential to the rapid and efficient communication of
science. In addition to open-access original research,
BioMed Central also publishes reviews and other
subscription-based content.



Natasha Robshaw
Head of Marketing and Sales
BioMed Central
34-42 Cleveland Street
London
W1T 4LB
T:+44 (0)20 7631 9981
F: +44 (0)20 7 631 9926
E: [log in to unmask]
www.biomedcentral.com


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