Re: Victory for the NIH open access plan in the House

From: Peter Suber <peters_at_earlham.edu>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 12:26:55 +0000

[Forwarding from ARL and SPARC. --Peter Suber.]

FROM: Prue Adler, ARL and Rick Johnson, SPARC

RE: Congress Reaffirms Support for NIH Proposal to Enhance Public Access
to Research Information

We are delighted to report that Congress again affirmed its support for NIH
to enhance public access to NIH funded research information. This support
was expressed via language in the Conference Report accompanying the FY
2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4818, H Rept 108-792),
legislation that includes nine appropriations bills.

The conference report language restates the NIH proposed policy of making
research articles based on NIH funding available to the public free of
charge. These articles would be publicly available via in PubMed Central
within six months after publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The
language also requests that NIH provide an annual cost accounting for
implementing this policy as well as work with publishers of scientific
journals to maintain the "integrity of the peer review system." The text
is included below and is available via Thomas (page 104 of the Statement of
the Managers). The report will also be available in the Congressional
Records in the next day or two.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your letters and
efforts in support of the NIH policy. Clearly this support made the
difference in moving this important policy forward!

NIH is working on an implementation plan for this policy. We will forward
that to you once available. Our thanks again. It is greatly appreciated.

-----------

FY05 Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report (NIH, Office of Director,
excerpted from the Statement of the Managers)

"The conferees are aware of the draft NIH policy on increasing public
access to NIH-funded research. Under this policy, NIH would request
investigators to voluntarily submit electronically the final, peer reviewed
author's copy of their scientific manuscripts; six months after the
publisher's date of publication, NIH would make this copy publicly
available through PubMed Central. The policy is intended to help ensure
the permanent preservation of NIH-funded research and make it more readily
accessible to scientists, physicians, and the public.

"The conferees note the comment period for the draft policy ended November
16th; NIH is directed to give full and fair consideration to all comments
before publishing its final policy. The conferees request NIH to provide
the estimated costs of implementing this policy each year in its annual
Justification of Estimates to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees. In addition, the conferees direct NIH to continue to work with
the publishers of scientific journals to maintain the integrity of the peer
review system."
Received on Tue Nov 23 2004 - 12:26:55 GMT