Scientific papers will soon be available freely online to the public in a UK government-backed project to open up knowledge at the expense of Britain's academic publishers, according to a report published in The Independent. The Coalition plans to stop publicly funded research going behind the paywalls of journals in a trial aimed at making the UK a world leader in technological innovation.
Detailed proposals will be announced soon. While many academics are supporting the shake-up of academic publishing, publishing insiders warn privately that it will hit a growing UK business and allow the rest of the world free access to British research.
British publishers reportedly produce 20 percent of the world's academic papers. They include not just Reed Elsevier but the Oxford University Press and institutions such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, which generates three-quarters of its income from its journals.
Universities could face estimated bills of £50 million annually to meet the costs of editing now borne by publishers. They may although save money in the long run if the prices of journals come down. The Coalition is reportedly determined to revolutionise scientific publishing in a bid to boost creativity and enterprise.
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