CSIRO’s acting chief scientist Dr Sarah Pearce said the national science agency was moving towards Open Access for its published research.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has announced that the details of its research are to be made accessible to the public as it moves towards a policy of ‘Open Access’.

Announcing the move, CSIRO said the changes would see the removal of paywalls and enable unrestricted access to the organisation’s research in scientific journals.

“The global shift towards Open Access aims to democratise science by ensuring research is available to everyone, not just those with journal subscriptions,” CSIRO said.

“The 100-year-old organisation has begun the journey towards Open Access, expected to take a number of years, by signing transformative ‘read and publish’ agreements with publishers,” it said.

Acting chief scientist for CSIRO, Sarah Pearce said the Organisation was removing barriers to access and increasing opportunities for its published research to make a difference in the world.

“In this way, everyone can read the science themselves and increase the impact of our research,” Dr Pearce said.

“At the same time, we must maintain the very highest standards of peer review and publishing practices, so finding a viable way to transition the model for journal publishers, like CSIRO Publishing, towards Open Access is exciting,” she said.

Chief information and data officer at CSIRO Brendan Dalton encouraged other research institutions to join the Open Access movement.

“”Open Access ensures we can solve the greatest challenges by sharing new knowledge across borders, across industries, and across communities to stimulate innovation, deliver social benefits and drive economic prosperity,” Mr Dalton said.

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