Open access takes on the U.S. government

The open access movement in the United States is slowly expanding into the government arena. (While at least eight other countries are working to open up government-funded research results, this paper will focus on work within the United States.) Bills to ensure that taxpayer-funded research is made freely and openly available to the public have recently been introduced into the 111th Congress. This paper will look specifically at those bills which cover eleven governmental agencies and the Congressional Research Service and view them in light of the successful Public Access Policy at The National Institute of Health (NIH). This paper will also consider some of those players in the foreground and background of the movement to make the electronic products of government-funded research open to all.