Elsevier supports open access publishing – alternate publishing models to allow free access to online scholarly materials. Among these are a ‘sponsored article’ option in 45 Elsevier journals, where after the decision to publish, authors can pay a fee to make articles immediately available to the public (for example, we have an agreement with the Wellcome Trust to enable sponsored access to Wellcome Trust-funded articles). We also allow ‘delayed access’ in 22 journals, where non-subscribers can access articles after a pre-defined time period has elapsed following final publication. As a publishing movement, we believe open access remains limited (for example, just 1% of science, technology, and medical articles as of March 2008 came from journals where an author paid to publish).
Elsevier allows authors to post the final version of their work on their own institution’s website or elsewhere, provided that the posting contains a link to the homepage of the journal in which the article appeared, and that the posting is not for commercial purposes.
“I am the patient and I have found the information invaluable.”
“I’m really very grateful for it.”
Comments from Patient Research users
For a processing fee of $4.95 per article, Elsevier’s Patient Research initiative gives patients, family members, and caregivers access to full-text medical articles from more than 100 journals like The American Journal of Medicine that might help them better understand their health concerns. Read more about Elsevier and access.
Access means promoting media literacy – the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, and communicate information – a distinct corporate responsibility issue for media companies. In addition to current work in this area by the Media CSR Forum to which we are contributing, we take steps to promote media literacy within the information fields in which we work. Elsevier supports Sense about Science, an independent charitable trust, which aims to promote evidence, scientific reasoning and public discussion, by responding to misrepresentation of science and scientific evidence on issues that matter to society, including genetic modification, stem cell research, and radiation.
Access involves helping those who might find our products of considerable social and economic value but who are unable to afford them. Accordingly, the RE Product Donation Policy outlines our support for in-kind donations. It indicates, “Destroying or remaindering product costs the company millions of dollars each year. When certain products no longer have commercial viability, they may remain in great demand by qualified, deserving recipients on a local or international level.” Read about RE product donations to Book Aid International.
Elsevier makes over 1,500 journals available to 4,000 institutions in low income countries through the Research4Life programme. Research4Life is a partnership between publishers and the United Nations. All parties, including technology partner Microsoft, have committed to Research4Life through 2015, with the aim of contributing to six of the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals.
Research4Life encompassing HINARI (Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative), supported by the UN’s World Health Organization, provides health workers and researchers in over 100 developing countries free or very low cost access to both core and cutting-edge health sciences information. In 2008, there were 1.5 million Elsevier articles downloaded, 30% of the total.
HINARI has had a significant impact on the participant countries’ ability to engage with the global scientific community. In a 2008 report, research showed that over the five-year period from 2002–2006, 105 HINARI countries saw a 63% growth in the number of authors publishing in peer-reviewed journals, compared to 38% in 102 non-HINARI countries. Read what Barbara Aronson, Library Coordinator, World Health Organization, has to say about the trend.
“The AGORA programme means I can be confident that my research is new and innovative, nobody else has done such work. I also know that I’m benefiting other countries in this field.”
Dr. Furaha Mramba, Entomologist
Tsetse Trypanosomiasis Research Institute, Mwanza, Tanzania
AGORA (Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture) is also part of Research4Life, offered by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. In 2008, Elsevier provided 108 developing countries access to 1,175 agricultural and related journals (over 50% of total journals available through AGORA). In 2008, the number of Elsevier articles downloaded through AGORA increased by 47%.
The third Research4Life programme is OARE (Online Access to Research in the Environment), an international public-private consortium led by the United Nations Environment Program. In 2008, 107 low income countries had access to one of the world’s largest collections of environmental science. There were 195,671 Elsevier articles downloaded, up 234% from 2007. Read Research4Life case studies.
Access also means ensuring users with physical disabilities can make use of our products and services. There are good commercial reasons: reputational benefit, a way of differentiating ourselves from the competition, and fostering new markets – for example, US federal agencies are required to purchase the most accessible solution in competitive bids. Accessible coding makes for better code and commonly leveraged solutions help get products out faster and cheaper than individually designed solutions; accessibility elements in mainstream products ensure a more logical and thoughtfully designed experience for able-bodied users.
We are working to ensure our websites meet government standards on web accessibility. As an example, our online recruitment company, totaljobs.com, the UK’s leading job board with more than two million unique users every month, is fully accessible to disabled candidates. The site also has a diversity section which provides practical tools and advice for recruiters, like tips for a good recruitment process, and useful links, including to the UK’s Disability Rights Commission.