Action

ACT NOW TO OPPOSE: The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act

SUPPORT: NIH Public Access Policy

SUPPORT: Federal Research Public Access Act

SUPPORT: International Public Access Policies

SUPPORT: Advocacy organization mandates

SUPPORT: Student activity for public access

Add this button to your Web site and show your support for taxpayer access to federally funded research.

Background

Mandatory public access to federally funded research does not violate copyright obligations (PDF)

Enhanced Access to the Published Results of NIH Research Will Benefit Science, the Economy and Human Health (PDF)

More resources...

 

What is “Taxpayer Access”?

Access to scientific and medical publications has lagged behind the wide reach of the Internet into U.S. homes and institutions. Subscription barriers limit U.S. taxpayer access to research that has been paid for with public funds. Taxpayer access removes these barriers by making the peer-reviewed results of taxpayer-funded research available online, and for no extra charge to the American public. To achieve this, the ATA supports applying the developing practices of Open Access as defined by the Budapest Open Access Initiative in February 2002.

Fleecing of America Nov. 28, 2004: NBC's Tom Costello reports on a push to make government-funded medical research available for free on the Internet. Watch the video

A diverse and growing alliance of organizations representing taxpayers, patients, physicians, researchers, and institutions that support open public access to taxpayer-funded research.

Statement of Principles:

1. American taxpayers are entitled to open access on the Internet to the peer-reviewed scientific articles on research funded by the U.S. Government.
2. Widespread access to the information contained in these articles is an essential, inseparable component of our nation's investment in science.
3. This and other scientific information should be shared in cost-effective ways that take advantage of the Internet, stimulate further discovery and innovation, and advance the translation of this knowledge into public benefits.
4. Enhanced access to and expanded sharing of information will lead to usage by millions of scientists, professionals, and individuals, and will deliver an accelerated return on the taxpayers' investment.

A new feature of the ATA site, Perspectives will highlight voices across the coalition on the enduring and often personal importance of public access to taxpayer-funded research in individual lives. (9/5/08)

Recent News:

(June 26, 2009) Call to action: Tell Congress you support the Federal Research Public Access Act

(June 26, 2009) Senator Lieberman in the Congressional Record, June 26

(June 26, 2009) Access for Tax Funded Research Bill in Senate, GenomeWeb Daily

(June 25, 2009) Taxpayer Alliance applauds bill to broaden access to federal research results - Federal Research Public Access Act introduced today

(June 15, 2009) President Obama on Access to Medical Information

(June 11, 2009) The Shared Search for Health Information on the Internet, from PewResearchCenter Publications

(June 5, 2009) Merck Passes The Buck, Elsevier Fails to Go Far Enough in Phony Journal Scandal, from the American Medical Association's Online Ethic's Journal

(April 28, 2009) Publicly funded research for a price, from Marketplace

(April 22, 2009) Copyright Battle Looms for Docs Who 'Grew Up Google', from ABC News

(April 7, 2009) Open-access policy flourishes at NIH, from Nature News

(March 30, 2009) An unfair formula, from The Boston Globe

(March 23, 2009) Protect our access to medical research, from The Boston Globe

(March18, 2009) A (Publishing) House Divided: Scholarly Publishers In Support and Opposition to Public Access to Research, by John Willinsky

(March 13, 2009) Permanent, for Now: Bill Solidifies NIH Mandate but Legislative Challenge Looms, from Library Journal

(March 12, 2009) First U.S. Public Access Policy Made Permanent, President Obama yesterday signed into law the 2009 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes a provision making the National Institutes’ of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy permanent.

(March 10, 2009) Senate Clears Spending After Fractious Debate, from The New York Times

(March 6, 2009) A New Push to Unlock University-Based Research, from the Chronicle of Higher Education

(March 5, 2009) Upping access to open access
by Elie Dolgin, The Scientist. Free registration required.

(March 5, 2009) Research copyright bill would end free health info, from the Detroit Free Press.

(February 26, 2009) No Taxation Without Information
by Keith Donovan, The Hoya.

(February 25, 2009) Bill Before Congress May Close Medical Research to Average American
by Esther Wojcicki, The Huffington Post.

(February 24, 2009) Misunderestimating open science
by James Boyle, Financial Times.

(February 19, 2009) AHCJ: Proposal would be blow to public access
by Pia Christensen, Association of Health Care Journalists.

(February 19, 2009) Online access = more citations
by Elie Dolgin, The Scientist. Free registration required.

(February 17, 2009) In New Letter, Library Associations Voice Strong Opposition to Anti-NIH Bill
by Andrew Albanese, Library Journal.

(February 13, 2009) NetCoalition letter to Representative Conyers opposing H.R. 801
(PDF)

(February 12, 2009) Rep. Conyers, Once Again, Trying To Lock Up Federally Funded Research
by Mike Masnick, TechDirt.

(February 10, 2009) ATA Letter opposing H.R. 801 to Representatvie Conyers
(PDF)

Be sure to check our Media page for news on the latest developments in public access.

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