Open Access Initiatives: Bridging Knowledge to the Public Domain

Abstract

Open Access (OA) the term formulated in 2002 is literature in digital format, web-based, freely accessible, and largely devoid of copyright and licensing restrictions. Importantly, OA does not compromise the peer review process, and in all major OA initiatives for scientific and scholarly literature scholars and scientists from concerned fields contribute their expertise voluntarily to ensure quality. One of the most enduring arguments supporting Open Access (OA) is the assertion that knowledge is inherently a public good, both in its nature and in how it should be treated. There is ancient Indian saying in Sanskrit ascribed to Bhartruhari that knowledge is the supreme wealth, wealth that cannot be pilfered by thieves, doesn't burden one, and expands infinitely while shared. These questions are discussed in the context of current scenario in this paper.