The Middle Road of Open Access

While the competing Research Works Act and Federal Research Public Access Act of 2012 are not expected to move forward in the US Congress this year, a report from the Office of Science and Technology Policy discussing how to distribute federally financed scientific research is anticipated, reports The New York Times. "Current evidence suggests that Congress has little enthusiasm for either extreme — full open access or an affirmation of the traditional system. Instead it appears to be moving toward a middle ground," the Times says. "The Obama administration's report will take an even more measured approach and is not expected to make specific recommendations." The report will cover policies for about a dozen governmental agencies that have annual research budget of $100 million or more. The report is to be released in the next few weeks.