BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

Personally I think this is a very good idea.

By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News
A group of experts has urged funders of UK research to encourage scientists to publish their results in journals that offer free public access to findings.
A report by Dame Janet Finch argues that there is a powerful "moral" case for publicly funded research to be freely available.
Dame Janet also states that there could be considerable economic benefits if industry has free access to research.
Currently, most results have to be paid for by subscription.

More here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18497083

[Shadowwolf]

A good idea yes but I'd not be so sure to see scientists eschewing their fields most impacting journals so that the work could be supplied free to access in a less prestigious place. Whilst they are primarily about the science, they are also people and like many will feel some sense of accomplishment to be published in a top journal. For the people to whom the work is most relevant that work is already essentially free as corporations or universities pay for that access, not from the scientists own pocket so it's an issue not directly impinging on them.

I certainly don't see the publishing outfits giving up a very good earner for ease of access either, not if they can help it.

[M Paul Lloyd]

A very good point Mr.S and of course funding is pretty essential but as I understand it this is aimed at making papers available after a suitable period when only those who subscribe have access.

The problem we have at the moment is that many papers, that are no longer of much interest to the expert subscribers, are locked away in perpetuity with little or no hope of ever been seen by anyone else for decades, if ever............... and well, that does seem a shame somehow.