The Public Policy Basis for Open Access Publishing: A Scientific Approach

Abstract

This article examines the interplay between public policy and green open access in light of copyright protection. Public policy is crucial for the progress of deposit in open access repositories which enhances distribution of information. In other words, public policy can be also be considered as a tool to contribute in the increase of information access opportunities with respect to copyright protection and associated regulatory framework. There are philosophical and pragmatic jusfitications based on which access to information is imperative (Michel Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2012); Nikos Koutras, Building Equitable Access to Knowledge Through Open Access Repositories (Information Science Reference 2019).), while contemporary copyright regimes afford (overly) broad protection in terms of copyright duration and uses covered. This paper proposes a theoretical framework which relies on publishing model of open access and aims to develop a standard concerning stakeholder’s interests through public policy.