B - Free journals grow

Kaiser J. Free journals grow amid ongoing debate. Science 20 August 2010;329(5994):896-8
(doi: 10.1126/science.329.5994.896)

Today the so-called open access (OA) movement is claiming success with publishers producing hundreds of free-to-read, peer-reviewed journals. The most prominent publisher, the Public Library of Science (PLoS), launched its first journal, PLoS Biology, in 2003. A recent study found that 20% of peer-reviewed articles across all disciplines are freely available mainly through journals or as manuscripts in online repositories. However, a dispute centers whether OA is speeding scientific progress. Critics suggest that the OA publishing model encourages mediocre work. The field has received a boost in recent years from public-access policies at funding agencies and the future of OA likely will depend on what funding agencies do, particularly on the subsidies they provide.

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