Ethics of Open Access to Biomedical Research: Just a Special Case of Ethics of Open Access to Research
Ethics of Open Access to Biomedical Research: Just a Special Case of Ethics of Open Access to Research
The ethical case for Open Access (OA) (free online access) to research findings is especially salient when it is public health that is being compromised by needless access restrictions. But the ethical imperative for OA is far more general: It applies to all scientific and scholarly research findings published in peer-reviewed journals. And peer-to-peer access is far more important than direct public access. Most research is funded to be conducted and published, by researchers, in order to be taken up, used, and built upon in further research and applications, again by researchers, for the benefit of the public that funded it -- not in order to generate revenue for the peer-reviewed journal publishing industry (nor even because there is a burning public desire to read [much of] it). Hence OA needs to be mandated for all research.
open access, research impact, biomedical research, ethics
Harnad, Stevan
442ee520-71a1-4283-8e01-106693487d8b
2007
Harnad, Stevan
442ee520-71a1-4283-8e01-106693487d8b
Harnad, Stevan
(2007)
Ethics of Open Access to Biomedical Research: Just a Special Case of Ethics of Open Access to Research.
Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine, 2 (31).
Abstract
The ethical case for Open Access (OA) (free online access) to research findings is especially salient when it is public health that is being compromised by needless access restrictions. But the ethical imperative for OA is far more general: It applies to all scientific and scholarly research findings published in peer-reviewed journals. And peer-to-peer access is far more important than direct public access. Most research is funded to be conducted and published, by researchers, in order to be taken up, used, and built upon in further research and applications, again by researchers, for the benefit of the public that funded it -- not in order to generate revenue for the peer-reviewed journal publishing industry (nor even because there is a burning public desire to read [much of] it). Hence OA needs to be mandated for all research.
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More information
Published date: 2007
Additional Information:
Byelorussion translation by Nadejda Dobkina available at http://onlinepharmacycheck.com/~doc/31-med-be
Keywords:
open access, research impact, biomedical research, ethics
Organisations:
Web & Internet Science
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 264431
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/264431
PURE UUID: 29656306-4d91-414e-8ef7-11656badc6f4
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Date deposited: 26 Aug 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:48
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Author:
Stevan Harnad
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