Microsoft Research adopts Open Access Policy

January 26, 2014

The MSDN blog shared last week that

Microsoft Research has adopted an
Open Access Policy for publications

 

Peter Lee, the head of Microsoft Research shared some  highlights of the organization, in a recent interview with Scientific American:

Microsoft Research has

  • 1,100 Researchers
  • 13 Laboratories around the world
    • with a 14th opening soon in Brazil

To put it in perspective, Microsoft has

Making Microsoft Research about 1% of the organization.

In order to keep with the mission of:

"promoting open publication of all research results
and encouraging deep collaborations with academic researchers.”

 

Microsoft Research crafted the following

Open Access Policy

  • Retention of Rights:
    Microsoft Research retains a license to make our Works available to the research community in our online Microsoft Research open-access repository.

     

  • Authorization to enter into publisher agreements
    Microsoft researchers are authorized to enter into standard publication agreements with Publishers on behalf of Microsoft,  subject to the rights retained by Microsoft as per the previous paragraph.
     
  • Deposit
    Microsoft Research will endeavor to make every Microsoft Research-authored article available to the public in an open-access repository.

The Open Access Policy introduction states:

"Microsoft Research is committed to disseminating the fruits of its research and scholarship as widely as possible because we recognize the benefits that accrue to scholarly enterprises from such wide dissemination, including more thorough review, consideration and critique, and general increase in scientific, scholarly and critical knowledge."

 

In adition to adopting this policy, Microsoft Research also:

"…encourage researchers with whom we collaborate, and to whom we provide support, to embrace open access policies, and we will respect the policies enacted by their institutions."
 

The MSDN blog closes with perspective on the ongoing changes in the structure of scientific publishing:

We are undoubtedly in the midst of a transition in academic publishing—a transition affecting publishers, institutions, librarians and curators, government agencies, corporations, and certainly researchers—in their roles both as authors and consumers. We know that there remain nuances to be understood and adjustments to be made, but we are excited and optimistic about the impact that open access will have on scientific discovery.

 

The MSDN blog was authored by

  • Jim Pinkelman, Senior Director, Microsoft Research Connections, and
  • Alex Wade, Director for Scholarly Communication, Microsoft Research
     

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