Research Without Walls – Open Access Week

October 22, 2011

Open Access Week starts on Monday !

              http://www.openaccessweek.org/

and what better way to start your participation in Open Access Week
than by signing the “Research Without Walls” pledge:

           http://www.researchwithoutwalls.org/

 

“I will assist in the peer review process

as a

  • reviewer
  • board/committee member
  • chair
  • editor

ONLY for conferences, journals, and other publication venues
that make all accepted publications available to the public
for free via the web.”

 

The “Clarity of Purpose” in this pledge is hard to contest.

 

The rationale is clearly details in their FAQ:

http://www.researchwithoutwalls.org/About.aspx

What does signing the pledge accomplish?

“The reputation of conferences and journals rests on the reputations of
the researchers who serve on their program committees and editorial boards.

Restricted-access publications cannot survive without the reputation and
volunteer labor
provided by the research community.

By signing the pledge you will:

  1. prevent conferences and journals from perpetuating a restricted-access system built on your labor and reputation, and
  2. show your support for a community norm of open-access publishing.

 


The exercise is simple.

Ask yourself: 

  • Why do you Publish ?
  • Why did you choose Research as a Profession ?
  • Is it because you want to restrict the public access to information ?
  • Why to collaborate with those who do not collaborate with you ?
    • Why to give your labor for free to those who will not
      freely share back information with you ?

 

Today, with three mouse clicks,
You can change the World:

      http://www.researchwithoutwalls.org/

 


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