A new attack on open science

[jumpinjiminy]

It appears someone on Congress has decided protecting a small branch of the publishing industry is more important than the widespread dissemination of information gained from scientific research that's been funded by the public. I really hope this doesn't gain any traction.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...cience/250929/

[wrest53]

Open Science

Thank you for drawing our attention to this issue. I will be sure to call my Congressman and Senators. It is difficult enough to access scientific information that is peer reviewed. PubMed is a great resource.

Scientific research, which is paid for with public dollars, must be available to the taxpayers. As one of the posters on the Atlantic site wrote, there is a mechanism for researchers to allow access, they just don’t do it. If this bill passes, we will have to lobby for a regulation to mandate researchers paid for by the taxpayer, provide access.

I usually have my eye on Issa, I will leave my opinion of him un-said—but this does not surprise me. For the anti-regulation crowd, actions such as this, only brings more regulation. If the researchers are forced to release their publications without regard to the publishers, they have only themselves to blame—along with Issa.

[jumpinjiminy]

This is an issue that needs a watchful eye. Many lives are put at stake when publicly funded scientific discovery is hoarded for the sake of profit vs. the betterment of mankind. Thank you for having enough interest to write your representatives.

The bill has just been introduced and has only one cosigner, but that doesn't mean it won't gain traction. There is an interest in censoring widespread access to new discoveries because of the fear of turning bird flu into a biological weapon. As always, fear and paranoia of what could be (by a large stretch of the imagination) will destroy the benefits of what would be in its absence.

[BigA]

I almost missed this because I wasn't sure what was meant by "open science". But this is about PubMed, which is a priceless resource for the world. I will research and write my representative.