Norway and Denmark join Open Access

Since I found about the Open Access movement I have become a strong advocate of this initiative. Not too long ago I was lamenting the fact that the U of Bergen was not part of this initiative.

I hope they have heard me :-) even though I doubt anyone can pay attention to this blog. The good news is that today I have learned that Norway has made a nationwide commitment to Open Access for the biomedical research it funds. All universities, polytechnics research institutes and hospitals in Norway became BioMed Central members on 1 October 2004.

According to Peter Suber: "Norway's decision is another landmark in the move towards Open Access for all biomedical research."

Three other European countries have already taken out nationwide BioMed Central membership for the majority of their publicly funded researchers since Denmark has recently has joined this initiative.

BioMed Central's Institutional Membership Program was launched in January
2002 and now has over 450 members, including some of the world's most
prestigious academic institutions.