The Access Principle

Reading Assignment #5 (August 8, 2009)


Source:

Stasa, Milojević.(2007). Review: The Access Principle: The Case for Open Access to Research and Scholarship by John Willinsky. Interactions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. vol. 3, issue 1, article 11. from http://repositories.cdlib.org/gseis/interactions/vol3/iss1/art11 accessed August 7, 2009.


Abstract:

This article is a book review of The Access Principle: The Case for Open Access to Research and Scholarship by John Willinsky. The book revolves around the importance of open access or free availability to scholarly and scientific literature to research institutions particularly in developing countries where access to literature remains difficult. It addresses the issue on how to improve and provide access to knowledge by comparing present-day situation to the print evolution and the emergence of online journals. This well-researched and documented book does an excellent job of presenting a case for improved access and also provides models for how this can be achieved.


Lesson learned:

1. The value of increasing and improving access to journal literature is evident with the
development of new technologies and through the use of Internet.
2. Open access is not only directed toward increasing access to researchers but it is also
"about turning this knowledge into a greater vehicle of public education." To use research
to change the way in which information is sought and disseminated.
3. Open access can be used to further advance democratic participation among citizens.


Application:

Open access to scholarly and scientific researches indeed brought new advancement in researches and brought about new ideals and innovations. As in my case, I am working in an organization that engaged in urban environmental management researches and projects most especially in ecological sustainable sanitation, a new and emerging concept in the Philippines. We usually refer to researches done in other countries. As a resource center, we greatly benefit in online researches and publications of academic institutions and organizations local and foreign sharing the same advocacy. Because of these online reports, case studies, fact sheets, etc., we are open to latest developments and able to develop and able to cope up with the latest trends and issues in the use of sanitation systems and technologies. Also we are able to share our latest researches to the rest of the world. Open access has greatly improved exchange of information and has helped the organization in further studies.