For the most part, the open access movement is inspired by a desire for transparency, and well-respected new open access publications are increasing in number. Indeed, Congress has demanded that research sponsored by the federal government be made available freely to all taxpayers, and investigators now are required to submit duplicate manuscripts to an online repository if the journal is not freely available online. Older, established journals, like the Journal of Clinical Investigation and the New England Journal of Medicine, are increasingly moving to an open access model, and ultimately the open access system will allow information to be as free as Willy the Whale. But like all human endeavors, if there is a way to abuse a system established in good faith, then somebody will find it.
Dr. Cronstein is the Paul R. Esserman Professor of Medicine and director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, New York University School of Medicine in New York.
