Open access and preservation: how can knowledge sharing be improved in ERA?

but related issues. Open Access is about free-of-charge accessibility of outputs (research texts and data) without delay as soon as they are ready for publication: preservation concerns ensuring the long-term storage, care and continuing free accessibility of these outputs. The present policy situation on these two things has arisen out of a number of initiatives and steps, some coordinated and some not, since the beginning of the millennium. The European Research Area (ERA) was established in 2000, aiming to ‘inspire the best talents to enter research careers in Europe, incite industry to invest more in European research – contributing to the EU objective to devote 3 % of GDP for research, and strongly contribute to the creation of sustainable growth and jobs’. It is now a core part of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, a strategy for ensuring a strong and growing European economy. Does scientific publishing work well? Interest in improving the sharing of scientific information grew markedly when, in 2004, the European Commission embarked upon an examination of the scientific publishing market in Europe. In 2006, the resultant ‘Study on the economic and technical evolution of the scientific markets in Europe ’ (1) was published. Subsequent – rather vigorous – debate on how to improve access and dissemination for scientifi