For and Against Open Access to Academic Works in the Context of Contemporary Research and Publishing Process

Abstract

  Ever since the accelerated introduction of information technologies and Internet services there have been many initiatives to, under certain conditions, make all the published, printed and digital, works fully accessible to all the people, and, especially, to members of research and academic/scientific community all over the world. Principles of Open Access Policy gained many supporters in the last twenty years, but, also, a number of opponents, who, within reason, point out to abuses by so-called predatory academic publishers and ever-present commercial aspects within the frameworks of binding legal and other documents both at the local and international levels that have not been yet agreed upon. The paper presents a short historical review about the development of academic publishing from 17th to late 20th century, and a significantly changed current environment that tries to overcome numerous legal and other types of dilemmas related to research and interrelated publishing activities. It is highly dynamic process that caused many changes in terms of approach and evaluation of academic writing; whereas the issues of authorship and publishing rights have been re-defined. Different kinds and modes of (self-)archiving and publishing of final types of academic publications, as well as their subsequent dissemination to interested users without limitations have been duly explained. Certain advantages under the open access policy have been pointed out, but also some negative aspects that such initiatives are about to be faced with in a near future, until the agreement on standards in this area will have been reached in the course of 21st century that might attain a comprehensive regulations on the global level.