International Open Access Week is set to take place from October 23-29 this year, with the theme of 'Community over Commercialization.' This theme emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the best interests of the public and academic community in open scholarship.
The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, which has been adopted by 193 member states, supports the prevention of inequitable profit extraction from publicly-funded scientific activities and non-commercial publishing models. By focusing on community needs, open access can achieve its original purpose of creating an unprecedented public good.
When commercial interests are put before those of the research community, concerns arise about the control of knowledge production and the cost of profit-focused business models. Open Access Week encourages individuals to discuss these issues within their local context and consider the options for using community-controlled infrastructure.
Open Access Week Advisory Committee selected this year’s theme to emphasize the importance of community control of knowledge sharing systems. Anyone is encouraged to host discussions and take action throughout the year and adapt the theme and activities to their local context.
For more information about International Open Access Week, visit openaccessweek.org. The official hashtag for the week is #OAWeek, and translations of this announcement in other languages are available on the website. Graphics for this year's Open Access Week theme are also available on the website.
Click here to read the original press release.
