From: Stevan Harnad <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:27:31 +0000


On Mon, 12 Dec 2011, LIBLICENSE wrote:

> From: Sandy Thatcher <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:31:04 -0600
>
> The simplest way to ensure open access to publicly funded research is
> to require every researcher to file a file report on the research
> funded, which would then be posted on a government-controlled site.
> This is much different, of course, than saying that authors should be
> required to post their journal articles on such sites.


The general public may be satisfied with that (if they have any interest
in reading the research results at all), but the primary intended users
of the research -- other researchers -- would not, and especially if they
were at institutions thast could not afford licensed access to the
journal in which the article was published.

And those are the users OA is about, and for.

"Public access to publicly funded research" is a good slogan (and public
access would certainly come with the territory, once we mandate OA); but
it is not the fundamental reason why achieving OA is so important.

And if it were, we would never achieve OA.

The fundamental reason for achieving OA is to maximize the uptake,
usage, applications, progress and impact of the research that the public
funds, for the benefit of the public.

Stevan Harnad