Opening Up to Open Access: What can other disciplines learn from the Sciences?

What can academics do to ensure that their research results are included in the growing "knowledge commons?" Gavin Yamey MD, Senior Editor of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases , shared his experiences in the open access movement and explores possible avenues for its expansion to other fields, with a focus on the social sciences and humanities.

The Public Library of Science, an international non-profit grassroots movement of scientists and physicians, is working to change the status quo by campaigning to make the biomedical literature a freely available global public good. PLoS now publishes 7 open access journals, and is urging traditional biomedical publishers to adopt more socially responsive practices. Will other fields follow in their footsteps?

This event was sponsored by Berkman and Harvard College Free Culture. It was a lead up event to the 2007 Internet & Society Conference, which was held on the Harvard Campus on June 1, 2007.