Physics looks to go open access

CERN, the European physics lab, is a big supporter of the Open Access principle - that all scientific research should be freely available for scientists to access. Earlier this month European particle physics funding agencies met at CERN to establish a consortium for Open Access publishing in particle physics, SCOAP3. 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.

It is an interesting move. Physics led the way with online self-archiving of research back in the 1990s. Physicists have embraced this way of working - self-archiving of the article e-print followed by publication in a peer-reviewed journal. They have always argued that peer-review was important and insisted that self-archiving did not undermine the integrity of the literature.

Now they are showing their commitment to journals and peer-review by embracing the "author pays" model, noting that this is the best way to support the continued existence of peer-reviewed journals. Interestingly, this mirrors the approach the Wellcome Trust has taken.

CERN Press release
CORDIS write-up