Click here for the latest open access news  May 18, 2005

Concept
Open access means that full-text of scientific papers are available online as soon as they are published, free of charge, with no restrictions on access or use. The idea of open access is based on the view that research findings, particularly in health sciences, should be freely and immediately available to the world-wide scientific community, clinicians, and the public. 

"Timely access to a broad range of current scientific publications is a necessity…for  both our clinicians, so that they may care for patients with the most up-to-date data, as well as our scientists who are making the breakthroughs in such areas as cancer, infectious, cardiovascular and neurological diseases,” said Dr. Dorothy Bainton, vice chancellor of academic affairs at University of California at San Francisco. 

More about open access:
Association of Research Libraries. Framing the issue: Open Access
A resource guide highlighting the key points of open access concept.

Open Access Overview
An introduction to open access concept by Peter Suber, Earlham College

Scientific research: A publication dilemma
An article by Victoria Shelton, GMU Libraries, introducing key points of open access publishing.