I have no preconceived opinion on this question. But I think we are in an open discussion because the further technical development of the Internet and the increases in its risks cannot be estimated at the moment either. We are in the transition from the three-dimensional culture of the book, which is in a way controllable and legally manageable, to the two-dimensional world of the screen. This world of screen texts is hardly controllable and always threatened by forgery and intellectual theft.

(See the RG question regarding "predatory" and "fake" journals!).

As a research scientist at the beginning of his career, you may have a great interest in accessing all information without copyright restrictions. But every scientist who has put years of work into his publication, giving his book manuscript to a renowned publisher, understands the publisher when he protects the publication with a copyright. There is no other way for science publishers to exist, and also for many authors.

A scientist has a moral right to regard his own performance as valuable, that he himself will be involved in a sale proceeds. In earlier times It used to be quite normal for a good science writer to live off his income. The Internet has the formula that important information no longer contains any value. And everyone expects free access to all information.

It's good idea to make all articles freely accessible, but it is not possible.

The system of journals publication is very complex and it needs financial aid.

Thanks

Open access publications is a new concept that most standard journals are rapidly adopting. Open access publications makes articles freely accessible online to both the end users, policy makers and researchers. If this is effective, then it fulfils the purpose for which research was done as researchers will use it to build upon further research, policy makers and politicians will used it to strengthen policies. Thus the final research will be benefited by the community that research was carried out-the principle of beneficence.

However, for research to be freely accessible entails huge funding for research and for article processing. Most authors, journals and research institutions lack these fundings. Some journals solve this partially by putting the price of article processing on authors. To my opinion, this hinders researchers in low income countries from publishing. The solution will be government agencies and research institutions that uses research for policy making funding heavily research institutions and journals so that they can make their research freely accessible.

Yes, in my opinion research should be freely accessible to all but the price should be paid by policy makers and government agencies but not by researchers and journals as it is currently the case

TOLEFAC, MD