Who owns the knowledge you produce? Who can access it?

The producers of knowledge often give up the rights to that knowledge in the process of publication. Commercial publishers consider knowledge to be "intellectual property" and maximize their own profits by limiting access and use of that knowledge to those who can pay (often through the nose). This monopolization and restricted dissemination of knowledge benefits neither the scholars who produce it nor society as a whole. We can no longer afford the luxury of a system whose benefits flow disproportionately to the publishing industry.

At the U of MN, the University Libraries are the lead unit in fostering conversations and sharing information about how we can exert our influence as authors, editors, reviewers, and members of universities and scholarly societies to support positive publishing practices that expand the reach and impact of research. Please read and act on the ideas you can find on the website for Transforming Scholarly Communication