British Reveal Path Towards Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research; House of Commons Science & Technology Committee to Release Findings and Recommendations July 20, 2004

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Public Library of Science

WHAT:      The Science and Technology Committee will publish its 
           Tenth Report of Session 2003-04, Scientific Publications at
           1000 hours on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 at a press conference 
           where copies of the Report will be available. Embargoed 
           copies are available to the press in advance.

WHO:       Dr. Ian Gibson, Committee Chairman
           Open Access leaders

WHEN:      Tuesday, July 20, 2004
           10:00 a.m.

WHERE:     British Library, Conference Center Auditorium
           96 Euston Road
           London, UK

WHY:

    --  As the second largest research funder in the world, the
        decisions of the British government have a global impact on
        access to science and medical research results, and will
        influence U.S. government policy and legislation.

    --  Key publishing industry players to be affected by the
        findings, such as Reed Elsevier, Nature Publishing Group, John
        Wiley & Sons, and learned societies.

    --  Recent analyses of open access publishing model by impartial
        and vested parties such as the Wellcome Trust have shown it to
        be cost-effective and sustainable. A variety of models
        currently exist successfully in the marketplace, proving open
        access is achievable.

    --  Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a San Francisco based
        non-profit working to make the scientific and medical
        literature a freely available public resource. PLoS provided
        written testimony to the committee and Harold Varmus, Nobel
        Laureate, CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and
        Chairman of the Public Library of Science, provided expert
        testimony.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To pre-arrange interviews or for more information, contact Cynthia Blair at 415-624-1218 or [e-mail]. For more documentation pertaining to the open access movement, see http://www.plos.org/about/openaccess.html. Further information on the Committee can be obtained from Committee staff at 020 7219 2793/4.