U.S. Agencies Directed to Make Research Papers Available.

The article reports that the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has asked federal agencies to make U.S.-funded research papers free and available online within 12 months after the results appear in a journal. Topics include the factors contributing to the OSTP's decision, the reaction to the policy by such groups as the Association of American Publishers, and its similarity to the U.S. Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR).