Saturday, June 23, 2018

Why open access?


Today, I was scrolling the internet for some information which was very necessary for me. I got it from an open journal. I have used open journals a lot of time but today was different. I know about open access from a long time and I have been working on it directly or indirectly such as running awareness campaigns, running open clubs, writing here on my blog etc. Today, I write about open access and explain you why it is important for anyone.

What is Open Access (OA)?

In the most simplest terms, Open Access (OA) is the research that has been distributed in either online or printed format in order to let people read and know. Suppose, you have wrote a research paper that identifies blockchain as a replacement of traditional databases by matching same speed for read and write operations. You are confident about it. You know it's unique. You know no one has ever thought about it. You are excited to tell people about your research. You upload it to Google Scholarly Articles, Open Journal System, Archive.org etc.

Wait, can your research come under copyright infringement? Can someone just copy your material, modify its bits and release under his/her name? Woah, yes it's possible. So, there are 2 degrees of Open Access:

1. Gratis

Gratis open access refers to providing everything your research for free without any further re-use permissions.

2. Libre

Libre is an extension of Gratis by providing readers re-use permissions under specific conditions. Most of the Libre work is released under Creative Commons license. (CC is actually very cool stuff)!

My personal preference is inclined more towards Libre because it clearly supports open access to its full potential. I also motivate people to release their research under CC license. This way, their work has a copyright and everyone can re-use and distribute it but the original author remains the same.

Why Open Access?

I could argue whole day in support for open access. I always like to explain people in the form of an example. So, let me take a very good example in order to make you understand why open access is necessary. How would you feel in an environment where you have to pay to gain knowledge on anything? So, you know you have internet. What happens if Wikipedia ever asked you to pay for each article you read? What would happen if every research paper was locked only for riches. Sounds hard? No, it sounds awful. We always want knowledge to open and free for all. Open Access is a crucial initiative in this huge movement. With Open Access, you get to

  • access any research free of cost
  • re-use and distribute it as per your needs
  • claim your copyright on your own research
  • share it with the world without worry
  • dive into pool of knowledge for free

Well, these are just some good reasons for you to get involved with open access. The true meaning and value is hidden beneath. Support Open Access, Support Open Education, Support Free Knowledge, Support Open Data and Support Open Source!