Love in the Time of Closed Access

Romance and courtship, love and loss, life and death. Though these are not characteristics of the OA movement, their presence is ubiquitous in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's classic novel, and no less pervasive globally. And as Valentine's day approaches, I thought I could discuss science's love affair with OA (or perhaps something more?) by considering a few key ways to ensure the establishment of a sound and flourishing relationship.

Lay a strong foundation. On this point, we've succeeded rather well. Two key publishers including Public Library of Science and BioMed Central have emblazoned a suitable path to the golden destination of OA. But already cracks are visible. Questions concerning the peer review process, academic validity, and publishing guidelines have been raised concerning those publishers that do not charge for OA publication. These imperfections must be addressed, and constant inspection ensured.

It takes two to tango. It's all about cooperation, and that often means compromise. The world isn't going to change in a day, but through strategic partnerships among and between academia, publishers, and government, progress can, and has, been made. Without this elemental teamwork, no relationship (whether it be personal or philosophical), can be maintained.

Keep the flame alive. The period of honeymoon, infatuation, novelty, call it whatever you will, the meaning changes none at all: something that is new is exciting, and as that newness fades, the excitement often follows suit. And in the end, complacency is much more comfortable than action. Though difficult, avoiding this rut is exactly what must be done in order to guarantee the healthy longevity of the OA movement.

Nathan