{"id":1052,"date":"2012-02-14T08:38:43","date_gmt":"2012-02-14T12:38:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/?p=1052"},"modified":"2012-02-14T08:44:47","modified_gmt":"2012-02-14T12:44:47","slug":"how-you-can-help-the-federal-research-public-access-act-frpaa-become-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/how-you-can-help-the-federal-research-public-access-act-frpaa-become-law\/","title":{"rendered":"How you can help the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) become law"},"content":{"rendered":"

As many of you no doubt know, the Federal\u00c2\u00a0Research Public Access Act<\/a>; (FRPAA, pronounced fur-pa) was introduced\u00c2\u00a0into the US Congress a few days past. \u00c2\u00a0It’s a terrific bill, which, if it\u00c2\u00a0passes, will have the effect of making all US Government-funded scientific\u00c2\u00a0research accessible to the public within 6 months of publication.<\/p>\n

Open access legislation like FRPAA doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. \u00c2\u00a0The\u00c2\u00a0Alliance for Taxpayer Access<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(ATA) is a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group that works to promote open\u00c2\u00a0access policies within the US Government. \u00c2\u00a0The ATA worked with Congress\u00c2\u00a0(and many other organizations) to help pass the NIH public access policy<\/a> in 2008,\u00c2\u00a0and have been working for the past several years with members of Congress\u00c2\u00a0on FRPAA.<\/p>\n

In this post, I interview Heather Joseph<\/a>, the Executive Director of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)<\/a>, which convenes the ATA, and\u00c2\u00a0ask her about the bill, about next steps, and about how people can help.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Heather, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed! What is FRPAA, and what’s it trying to accomplish?<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you, Michael – I’m happy to talk about this bill!<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, FRPAA is designed to make sure that the results of scientific research paid for by the public can be accessed by the public.\u00c2\u00a0Most people are surprised to learn that this isn’t automatically the case;\u00c2\u00a0they assume that if their tax dollars pay for a research study, they\u00c2\u00a0should be entitled to read the results. \u00c2\u00a0But the reality is quite\u00c2\u00a0different. \u00c2\u00a0Right now, if you want to access articles that report on\u00c2\u00a0publicly funded science, you have pay to do so, either through a subscription to a scientific journal (which can cost thousands of dollars\u00c2\u00a0a year), or though pay-per-view, which can easily cost upwards of $30 per\u00c2\u00a0article. This presents an often-unsurmountable obstacle for exactly those\u00c2\u00a0people who most want (or need) access – scientists, students, teachers,\u00c2\u00a0physicians, entrepreneurs – who too often find themselves unable to afford\u00c2\u00a0such fees, and end up locked out of the game.<\/p>\n

Out of eleven federal agencies that fund science here in the United\u00c2\u00a0States, only one – the National Institutes of Health – actually has a\u00c2\u00a0policy that ensures that the public can freely access the results of their\u00c2\u00a0funded research online. FRPAA is designed to tackle this issue head on,\u00c2\u00a0and to make sure that the science stemming from all U.S. agencies is made\u00c2\u00a0freely available to anyone who wants to use. it.<\/p>\n

FRPAA is a very straightforward bill – it simply says that if you receive\u00c2\u00a0money from a U.S. Agency to do scientific research, you agree (upfront) to\u00c2\u00a0make any articles reporting on the results available to the public in a\u00c2\u00a0freely accessible online database, no later than six months after\u00c2\u00a0publication in a peer-reviewed journal.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What is the Alliance for Taxpayer Access (ATA)?\u00c2\u00a0What role did the ATA play in advocating for FRPAA?<\/em><\/p>\n

The ATA is a coalition of groups who are working together to try and craft\u00c2\u00a0a positive solution to this problem. \u00c2\u00a0In 2004, the library community (led by my home organization, SPARC) decided that there must be other groups\u00c2\u00a0who shared our frustration over the current access situation. We reached\u00c2\u00a0out to research organizations, patient advocacy groups, consumer organizations, publishers, student groups – anyone we could think of who\u00c2\u00a0shared the goal of unlocking access to taxpayer funded research. \u00c2\u00a0We\u00c2\u00a0quickly attracted more than 80 organizations, representing millions of\u00c2\u00a0individuals. This created a whole new opportunity to advocate for national\u00c2\u00a0access policies from a much stronger position… there really is<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0strength in numbers!<\/p>\n

The ATA has evolved into the leading advocacy organization for taxpayer\u00c2\u00a0access to the results of taxpayer funded research. We knock on Congressional doors, talking with policymakers about \u00c2\u00a0the current barriers \u00c2\u00a0to access, and about new opportunities for scientific progress once those barriers are brought down.\u00c2\u00a0We are all about leveraging\u00c2\u00a0the public’s investment in science by making sure that anyone who is\u00c2\u00a0interested can easily access and build on this research. That’s how\u00c2\u00a0science advances, after all.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> In 2008, the Congress passed the NIH public access\u00c2\u00a0policy. \u00c2\u00a0Can you tell us about that, and the ATA’s role?<\/em><\/p>\n

Absolutely! \u00c2\u00a0As I mentioned, the NIH is currently the only U.S. agency\u00c2\u00a0that has a policy guaranteeing the public access to the results of its\u00c2\u00a0funded research. The idea for the policy surfaced in 2003, when Congress\u00c2\u00a0expressed concern that results of the public’s nearly $30 billion annual\u00c2\u00a0investment in NIH research were not being made as widely accessible as\u00c2\u00a0they should be. \u00c2\u00a0They asked the NIH Director to create a policy to address\u00c2\u00a0the problem, setting in motion what would become 4 long years of intense\u00c2\u00a0debate in the scientific community.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, some journal publishers expressed immediate concern that\u00c2\u00a0any policy that provided access to research results through any other\u00c2\u00a0channels other than subscription-based journals would irreparably damage\u00c2\u00a0their businesses. Because journal publishing is big business (nearly $9\u00c2\u00a0billion in annual revenues) publishers were able to use their\u00c2\u00a0long-established trade associations to aggressively lobby the NIH and\u00c2\u00a0Congress against the establishment of such a policy.<\/p>\n

The scientists, librarians, patients, and others who favored the policy\u00c2\u00a0found themselves at a disadvantage, advocating as individual organizations\u00c2\u00a0without a coordinated voice. This was the main reason the ATA was\u00c2\u00a0established, and we quickly found ourselves at the center of the debate,\u00c2\u00a0helping to ensure that all stakeholders who favored the establishment of a\u00c2\u00a0public access policy had a way to present a united message to\u00c2\u00a0policymakers. Ultimately, Congress passed a landmark policy fully\u00c2\u00a0supported by the ATA that was enacted in 2008.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Who works at the ATA?<\/em><\/p>\n

The ATA is essentially a virtual coalition. While we’ve grown to represent\u00c2\u00a0over 100 organizations, the organization’s advocacy is carried out by a\u00c2\u00a0pretty small core group of staff (all of whom have other full time jobs!) \u00c2\u00a0Besides myself, the wonderful Nick Shockey<\/a> and Andrea\u00c2\u00a0Higginbotham are responsible for the coalition’s online presence – keeping\u00c2\u00a0our website<\/a> up to date,\u00c2\u00a0maintaining our Congressional Action Center<\/a>, and keeping our members looped in on various email\u00c2\u00a0lists. \u00c2\u00a0We also rely on our incredibly active members to help us\u00c2\u00a0continually refine our messages, and look for opportunities to spread the\u00c2\u00a0word about our work. \u00c2\u00a0People like Sharon Terry<\/a> at the Genetic Alliance<\/a>, Prue Adler<\/a> at the Association of Research Libraries<\/a>, and Pat\u00c2\u00a0Furlong<\/a> at Parent\u00c2\u00a0Project Muscular Dystrophy<\/a> are prime examples of some of the people\u00c2\u00a0who keep the ATA active on the front lines. Also: there is no cost to join the ATA (SPARC picks up the relatively low\u00c2\u00a0tab to keep it humming!); and the door is open for any organization to sign on as a member through our website<\/a>. If you’re interested, please let us\u00c2\u00a0know!<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What happens next, with FRPAA? \u00c2\u00a0How does it\u00c2\u00a0(hopefully) become law? What could derail it?<\/em><\/p>\n

The next steps for FRPAA will be for us (and our advocates) to encourage\u00c2\u00a0other members of Congress to sign onto the bill as co-sponsors. Generating\u00c2\u00a0a nice, robust list of supporting members of Congress is key in helping to\u00c2\u00a0keep the profile of the bill high. \u00c2\u00a0Procedurally, the bill will be\u00c2\u00a0referred to Committee for further consideration; in the Senate, it will go\u00c2\u00a0to the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and in the\u00c2\u00a0House, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will receive the\u00c2\u00a0bill. \u00c2\u00a0As with any legislation, FRPAA faces an uphill battle in an\u00c2\u00a0election year, but given the growing attention this issue has received in\u00c2\u00a0the past year (from the White House Office of Science and Technology\u00c2\u00a0Policy, to the America COMPETES Act, to the recent Research Works Act),\u00c2\u00a0we’re hopeful that the bill can continue to advance.<\/p>\n

I think the biggest threat is inaction, so vocal support from stakeholders\u00c2\u00a0will be crucial!<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What can people do to help FRPAA become law?<\/em><\/p>\n

The most important thing that people – especially active scientists – can\u00c2\u00a0do help advance this bill is to speak out in support of this bill. \u00c2\u00a0And we\u00c2\u00a0need folks to speak out in two ways:<\/p>\n

First, speak out to your members of Congress. The ATA has an Action\u00c2\u00a0Center<\/a> set up so that you can simply log on, pick your Senators and\u00c2\u00a0Representatives, and automatically generate a letter asking them to\u00c2\u00a0support FRPAA. \u00c2\u00a0The Action Center has all kinds of information about the\u00c2\u00a0bill, including Talking Points, FAQ’a and even template letters, to help\u00c2\u00a0make the process as easy as possible. Check\u00c2\u00a0it out!<\/a><\/p>\n

Second, speak out to your colleagues and your community. \u00c2\u00a0Blog about the\u00c2\u00a0bill, or spread the word on Twitter. \u00c2\u00a0Consider writing an OpEd for your\u00c2\u00a0local newspaper, or writing an article for your organization’s newsletter.\u00c2\u00a0The more people become aware of this issue, the more they support it.\u00c2\u00a0Help us spread the word!<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Finally, how can people follow what the ATA is doing, and\u00c2\u00a0keep up with your calls for action?<\/em><\/p>\n

You can sign onto the Alliance for Taxpayer Access by going to our\u00c2\u00a0website<\/a>. There’s no charge.<\/p>\n

If you simply want to be added to our email list for alerts and updates,\u00c2\u00a0contact either or myself (heather@arl.org) \u00c2\u00a0or Andrea Higginbotham\u00c2\u00a0(andrea@arl.org), or follow us on Twitter at @SPARC_NA<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As many of you no doubt know, the Federal\u00c2\u00a0Research Public Access Act; (FRPAA, pronounced fur-pa) was introduced\u00c2\u00a0into the US Congress a few days past. \u00c2\u00a0It’s a terrific bill, which, if it\u00c2\u00a0passes, will have the effect of making all US Government-funded scientific\u00c2\u00a0research accessible to the public within 6 months of publication. Open access legislation like FRPAA… Continue reading How you can help the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) become law<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1052"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1062,"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1052\/revisions\/1062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelnielsen.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}