European countries demand that publicly funded research should be free to all

MANY scientists have championed the idea that publicly funded research should be available to all and not locked away in pricey journals. Although this "open access" ethos has become more popular in recent years, most researchers' work remains fenced off by an online paywall. That may change with a radical European initiative unveiled earlier this month. Eleven European countries, including Britain, France and the Netherlands, have signed up to what is called "Plan S". This requires scientists w...