With "DC Principles," Societies Seek STM Middle Ground

-- Library Journal, 3/29/2004

A coalition of 48 leading scientific societies has endorsed a set of principles for providing "free access" to research. Gathering in Washington, DC, representatives from the assembled organizations released the "DC Principles," seven tenets affirming their commitment to "innovative and independent publishing practices and to promoting the wide dissemination of information in our journals." While the language signals a strong commitment to the idea of free access, how such free access should be achieved is not addressed. Notably, the principles do not specifically endorse open access, nor assail commercial publishing practices. The seventh principle acknowledges the "co-existence of many publishing models," while calling for scientific societies to "to set high standards for the scholarly publishing enterprise." The principles also call for free access to research for developing nations and for long-term preservation strategies.