I’ve been thinking about the connection between open access and knowledge translation. How will OA benefit KT? Well, here is my first attempt to answer that question:

  • Open access enables wider circulation of knowledge compared to the traditional publishing model, by removing the price barrier and permission barrier. This means members of the public can read evidence from publicly funded research from any Internet-connected computer (be it at their homes or workplaces). Not only they have access to the online materials, but they have access to the most recent evidence as true open access brings scholarly publications online without delay. When a policy or regulation is introduced to the public, it should be easier for the public (including journalists) to check the degree of which the policymakers use research evidence in their decision making. There will still be the challenge to translate research evidence to the lay people, but that is the next step. Besides, I think we should not underestimate people’s learning capability.
  • Eysenbach pointed out the tendency of policymakers, consumers, and journalists to use Google when looking for evidence. The artificial scarcity problem they encounter as their search retrieves links to publications they cannot access defers them from reading the evidence. However, when the links lead them to open access publications, they are most likely to skim and even read through the papers. This rings true to me as I found his paper via Google.
  • According to CIHR, researchers are also expected to publish research findings in plain language and accessible formats. Wouldn’t it help their job if they can easily provide links to the actual research papers – and know that the readers (the public and policymakers) are able to actually access the full text of these research evidence? It serves as an education means to the people who fund their research.

So here’s an example, go click the link below and see my evidence (it’s an editorial not a peer-review article, but for the sake of illustration it should work).

Reference

Eysenbach, G. (2006). The Open Access Advantage. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8(2), e8. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from http://www.jmir.org/2006/2/e8/