Open Access and Developing Nations

Academic research is often described as the act of “standing on the shoulders of giants.” However, those in impoverished and developing nations without access to the funds required by closed access publishers are often denied access to critical background research, thus snuffing out an important source of scientific illumination.

The dawn of the internet has been a key player in helping to level out the global economic playing field. The onset of the Open Access (OA) movement has extended this equalizing power to the realm of academia. Now the brilliant minds of poor nations can have unrestricted access to the information they need to advance science.

Some may argue that the publishing fees of OA publishers (sometimes thousands of dollars) in fact limit the ability of researchers in the developing world to share their research. However, this attack is clearly unfounded. Every single OA publisher I have found to date offers fee waivers for those without the funds and ensures that ability to pay in no way affects the peer review process.

I think the benefits far outweigh the perceived drawbacks with regard to OA and its effects on those researchers in developing nations. As more and more capable minds begin contributing to scientific literature via OA, the inevitable result is nothing less than human advancement.

Nathan