…but you can buy it for $39.99! Recently, a point was raised in the discussion forum when I posted a link to an article that was not open access. Should FORCE11 be posting links to articles that aren't open access? In truth, I didn't really think about it when I posted the article, as the content was important, and as I am at a major university, I do take access for granted. But nothing kills an active line of inquiry or a discussion faster than the words "Sorry, you don't have access to this article" and clearly, everyone in FORCE11 cannot take access to published content for granted. So what do we do? Do we restrict postings only to those things which can be viewed by everyone? Do we take the extra effort to summarize content for those who don't have access? Open access is a contentious issue among the broad community of FORCE11, which aims to bring together everyone involved in scholarly communication, including those who employ closed access as a business model. So we (by we, I mean the executive committee) decided that links to anything can be posted, but we will indicate clearly in the tagline that "Sorry, this article is unfortunately not open access so you may not be able to read it". Are we trying to make a point here? Maybe just a little.
Related Articles
FORCE2026 Programme Now Available: Join Us in Singapore
Kayode Oladapo
20 Feb 2026
No Comments
FORCE2026 Welcomes Founding Sponsors
Kayode Oladapo
10 Feb 2026
No Comments
Lead a FORCE11 Working Group and Help to Advance Communications
FORCE11 Admin
25 Nov 2025
No Comments
Charleston Conference Asia: Join Us in FSCI Preconference Workshops
FORCE11 Admin
12 Nov 2025
No Comments
FORCE11 PREreview Club Publishes First Review
Jennifer Miller
7 Nov 2025
No Comments
FORCE2026
To Go Far, Go Together: Advancing Scholarly Communication Across Boundaries and Disruptions
3 - 5 June 2026 @ Singapore Management University
Membership
Join the FORCE11 community and take part in our groups, conference, summer school, post on FORCE11, and attend other events.