Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics – A New Ambitious Project

On 3 November, 2006 CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, issued a press release detailing plans to establish "a consortium of major particle physics funding agencies, aimed at guiding a transition of the current subscription model for journals to a more stable, more competitive and more affordable future for the dissemination of quality-assured scientific information adapted to the era of electronic publishing."

Geneva, 3 November 2006. The first meeting of European particle physics funding agencies took place today at CERN¹ to establish a consortium for Open Access publishing in particle physics, SCOAP3². This is the first time an entire scientific field is exploring the conversion of its reader-paid journals into an author-paid Open Access format.

Open Access is a policy that could revolutionize the academic publishing world and have a great impact on research. By changing the traditional model of financing publications through reader subscriptions, the publications will be free to readers and financed by funding agencies via laboratories and the authors. This new concept in publishing will broaden opportunities for researchers and funding agencies in achieving greater benefit from unrestricted distribution of the results of their publicly funded research. . . . MORE