(sb) On the 1st May the library at ETH Zurich became a member of the biggest open access publishers, BioMed Central (1). This membership means that from now on, scientists at the university will be able to publish their reviewed articles free of charge in one of the approximately 120 specialist journals of the non-commercially oriented publishing group. Without this membership, authors have to pay hundreds of dollars for a publication with this publisher. In the main, the themes of the journals adhering to BioMed Central lie within the areas of life science and medicine.

Decommercialisation of scientific results

The license fees of commercial publishers represent a growing burden for the finances of libraries (2). More and more open access publishers are countering this development by enabling access, free of charge, to scientific output. In order to finance their journals these publishers are turning the tables. Instead of charging the user, those who publish carry the cost. This means that access to the content of scientific knowledge is free. The costs that ETH scientists would have to pay for publication in BioMed Central's specialist journals are taken over by the ETH library. Moreover, at BioMed Central authors no longer relinquish the copyright of their publications to the publisher, as is the case with commercial publishers, which means that scientific results can be published in more than one publication. Advocates of the open access philosophy have expectations that it will lead to more efficient and more rapid developments in research, as it says on the publishers' homepage. According to those responsible at the ETH library, free access to scientific articles will also have the welcome secondary effect of adding to the renown of the publishing institution.

Great enthusiasm for open access

It would seem that enthusiasm for non-commercial publishing is still growing. From an ETH library announcement we learn that surveys in the industry show that articles published under the condition of open access are more widely read–and therefore cited more often. BioMed Central has also received prominent support within Switzerland. Ernst Hafen, designate President of ETH Zurich and current head of the Zoological Institute at the University of Zurich, promotes publication in specialist journals by the non-commercial publishers on his homepage (3).

Time limited membership

For the time being, the membership in BioMed Central is limited to one year. According to the ETH library, an extension of membership beyond April 2006 will depend on the future financial demands of the publishers.

The content of any library is no longer limited to printed matter. Digital forms of publication are still on the increase. Bookcases in the main library at ETH Zurich.

Because, at present, there is no way to tell whether, in the long run, the alternative financing model of open access publications, where authors and institutions carry the cost of their publications, will eventually lead to a fall in the overall costs of publishing. A further point that will be decisive is how great the acceptance of BioMed Central's offer is among scientists during this year. This will also depend on the specialist journals published under open access conditions moving up on the relevant ranking lists. After all is said and done, the good name of the journal in which they want to publish their work is what counts for researchers as well.

Combined with "ETH E-Collection"

In any case the ETH library appeals to scientists to make as full a use as possible of BioMed Central's publication offer and–something that open access now also makes possible–to publish their articles simultaneously with the "ETH E-Collection“ (4). For over a year already, ETH staff and students have had their very own digital platform with this electronic collection, the aim and purpose of which is similar to that of BioMed Central: to offer a digital means of making research results freely available to interested scientific parties.