New SPARC Community Resource on Article-Level Metrics
April 16, 2013

By Greg Tananbaum

Today, SPARC released a new community resource delving into Article-Level Metrics (ALMs) an emerging hot topic in the scholarly publishing arena. Article-Level Metrics (ALMs) are rapidly emerging as important tools to quantify how individual articles are being discussed, shared, and used. 

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Knowledge Exchange Releases SPARC-sponsored Report on Strategies for Sustaining Open Access Resources
April 4, 2013

By Raym Crow

Knowledge Exchange* has released “The Collective Provision of Open Access Resources,” the third report in its multiphase “Sustainability of Open Access Resources” initiative. The report, which was funded by SPARC, examines the practical planning issues relevant to the economic sustainability of infrastructure services that support the growth of the open-access dissemination of scholarly and scientific research.

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New SPARC Open Data Resource for Research Funders
March 20, 2013

By Greg Tananbaum

Today, SPARC released a new community resource for research funders entitled, “Implementing an Open Data Policy”.  This primer addresses key issues that these organizations encounter when considering the adoption and implementation of an open data policy.  The guide covers big-picture topics such as how to decide on the range of activities an open data policy should cover.

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With Introduction of FASTR, Congress Picks up the Pace on Open Access Legislation
February 14, 2013

By Heather Joseph

The Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR), introduced today in both the House and the Senate, represents an important step forward in the legislative progression toward the goal of Open Access to publicly funded research. Based on the framework laid out by the highly successful NIH Public Access Policy, (as well as the previously-proposed Federal Research Public Access Act) the bill proposes terms and conditions that fully enable digital reuse of publicly funded research articles - as well as calling for their timely, barrier-free availability. 

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Honoring an "Open" Activist by Taking Action
January 15, 2013

By Heather Joseph
As we struggle to digest the news of the loss of Aaron Swartz, a brilliant intellect, a passionate activist, and a very human 26-year-old, I am, as I suspect we all are, wrestling with conflicting emotions.  Heartsickness over a promising life ended too soon; anger over the circumstances that drove his actions, and frustration that we’re still faced with a world where we are fighting for something as basic as open, equitable access to scholarly and scientific research.
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SCOAP3 Project Progresses
November 5, 2012
By Heather Joseph.
After an intense period of behind-the-scenes effort, CERN's open access, library, purchasing, and legal staff, along with the SCOAP global Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, secured with leading publishers the participation in principle of 12 HEP (full or partial) journals; developed a project governance structure; crafted a framework for performing calculations for subscription reduction and re-direction; and are putting into place a series of National Contact Persons (NCPs), who are responsible for securing participation from libraries, library consortia, research institutions, and funding agencies in their countries.
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R2RC Partners with PhD Comics for Open Access Week Video!
October 26, 2012
By Andrea Higginbotham.

To close Open Access Week 2012, we’re excited to announce our video collaboration with PhD Comics to produce “Open Access Explained!”.   The comic-style animated video is a great resource to explain the basics of Open Access and why it’s important to friends, family, and colleagues. Take a look, and help us spread the word about Open Access throughout the research community and to the public at large! 

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Open Access Week 2012 in Full Swing
October 23, 2012
By Heather Joseph.
Open Access Week 2012 is underway, and we here at SPARC are watching with delight as the buzz from the announcements, events, contests, launches, and just plain cool activities underway in the community continues to grow.
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SUNY Potsdam Takes Tough Stand Against American Chemical Society Prices
October 18, 2012
By Heather Joseph.
Many of you have heard about the SUNY-Potsdam library's recent experiences in trying to navigate continued price increases to the American Chemical Society journals' subscriptions. SPARC's Caralee Adams highlights the struggle and outcome with an in-depth profile of the Director of Libraries, Jenica Rogers.
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Advocates Set Ambitious Goal: Setting the Default to Open Access in Ten Years’ Time
September 12, 2012
By Heather Joseph.
Ten years ago, a small group of activists convened in Budapest to discuss ways for the academic community to come together and work to make all research articles in all academic fields freely available online. The participants (which included SPARC’s Founding Executive Director, Rick Johnson) represented a wide variety of academic disciplines, national affiliations, and points of view. All were involved in efforts to create a more open system of scholarly communication.
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A Tribute to Lee Dirks
August 30, 2012
By Heather Joseph.
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Wikimedia Endorses OA Petition and Next Steps
May 25, 2012


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Sign the White House Petition on Open Access to Research Today!
May 21, 2012
By Heather Joseph.
We now have a brief, critical window of opportunity to demonstrate that we as a community firmly believe should be a high priority for the Administration to act on right now. To help accomplish this, today, May 21st, a petition calling for Public Access to all Federally Funded Research has been posted to the White House's "We the People" Website. If the petition garners 25,000 signatures within 30 days, it will be reviewed by White House staff, and considered for action. 
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Bipartisan Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) Continues to Gain Support in Congress
May 1, 2012
By Andrea Higginbotham.
Good news for supporters of open access to the results of taxpayer funded research this week, as Members of Congress continue to express their support for the proposed legislation.
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FPRAA takes Center Stage at Congressional Hearing
March 30, 2012
By Andrea Higginbotham.
Open access issues are clearly on the minds of U.S. lawmakers. Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight conducted a hearing on the topic “Examining Public Access and Scholarly Publication Interests.” The hearing was designed to generate information regarding open access in general, but quickly turned into a discussion of the recently-reintroduced Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA).
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