Britain's Royal Society has given a thumbs down to the concept of open access publishing of scientific research, saying it would increase the cost of funding UK scientists, thereby potentially reducing the number of grants awarded.
"The Royal Society wholly supports the widest possible dissemination of science, particularly to developing countries,” said the organization's vice president, John Enderby. “However, we are concerned that the model currently proposed for 'open access' journals, where scientists pay a fee for each paper they have published, is an unsustainable one which could also significantly impact on UK science funding.”
The society, Britain's national science academy, is due to give evidence on Monday (March 8) to a hearing of the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology. The committee, made up of politicians, is investigating scientific publishing in the UK and is hearing evidence from a range of sources.
The Royal Society's view ...
