Through the Looking Glass today: research on open access publishing (yes, I’ve been working on a paper today). I think open access publishing is a good thing, though I’m not sure yet what role, if any, government should play in encouraging it.
This European Commission Report provides excellent background on the issues.
The Budapest Open Access Initiative is a key declaration of principles for the open access movement.
This NIH Policy encourages open access publication of NIH-funded research.
Peter Suber at Earlham College keeps an Open Access News Blog. Suber is one of the key academic activists in the open access movement.