Open Access: Historical Highlights, Issues and Policies

Print publishing relies on enclosure of information in a physical object (book). The digital environment potentially increases access (online journals). Publishers, however, can implement control beyond that which is possible in a print world; for example, license agreements that try to restrict user rights such as fair dealing. Open access is an increasingly popular publishing option, and represents a progressive application of technology and alternatives to traditional intellectual property. This moderated panel discussion with University of Western Ontario scholars, is an introduction to the origins of problems in scholarly publishing, current open access initiatives, and educational policies