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Open access to research knowledge in 2010

The University of Helsinki leads the way in open access to research articles.

The Internet facilitates the availability of increasingly varied databases. Nowadays, several major research fund providers are insisting on the open access of scientific research results. The University of Helsinki is one of the first leading universities in Europe to be actively involved in this initiative.

“The open access of scientific knowledge is a highly important development not only for maximising the visibility of research and its funding parties but also for private citizens,” says Kaisa Sinikara, Director of Information and Library Services, who is responsible for the project.

She takes the view that one of the major problems with publishing research papers nowadays is the multifold rise in costs.

“The universities that were in a position to use the quality knowledge were the ones with the wherewithal to pay for it. The network systems developer at Stanford University crystallised the situation ten years ago by likening universities to ‘sleeping giants who still fail to realise the potential of the knowledge they manage’.”

The University of Helsinki will require researchers as from 1 January 2010 to simultaneously deposit their research articles for scientific publications in the open access research repository maintained by the University.

In principle, the aim is to promote channels for an open access publications policy, such as open access periodicals in various scientific fields. The writer fees for these would also be covered by the new total cost model for research funding.

The University of Helsinki’s open access repositories have been developed and maintained locally by the campus libraries. They are all built on Dspace open source repository software and will be merged into one University Open Repository during the year 2008.

Example of the campus repositories CARHU – Campus Repository of Humanities and Social Sciences

Read more: The Open access decision by the University management team

Text: Kai Maksimainen
Photo: Veikko Somerpuro
11.6.2008
www.helsinki.fi/digitalcommunications

Translation: AAC Noodi Oy

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