JISC

Martin Hall (March 2011)

A briefing paper suggesting there is a strong case for open access in terms of the creation and dissemination of new knowledge - irrespective of publishing costs.

This paper argues that even if open access were not potentially less costly than subscription publishing, it would still offer a better return for public investment because of the way it eases the dissemination of knowledge.

It states: “A fully commercial model for scholarly publication would need to show how the investment of public funds as subsidy for private companies can give a better return than if these same public funds were to be used to enable open access publishing and institutional repositories.”

It argues that: “the marginal gain from open access to knowledge will inevitably exceed private benefit.” That’s to say, if knowledge, which can be infinitely reproduced, could be made freely available there would be wide potential gains. There would also be fewer potential restrictions on those seeking the knowledge. Where the necessity of obtaining licences and paying fees is removed, there are fewer roadblocks, and less “friction” and delay within the knowledge economy. (Which is a benefit both in terms of paid researcher hours used up, as well as the efficient dissemination of information.)

The paper further suggests that open access is a return to “pre-commercial principles of scholarly exchange” and that knowledge production might still thrive without commercial publishing. This latter statement is qualified by the suggestion that private, for profit investment, following open innovation principles, could also have a place in scholarly communication.

Read this report in full