Open Access
Open Access has many benefits for science and the general public.
Authors are assured that their work is disseminated to a wide audience, given that there are no barriers to access their work. This is accentuated by the authors being free to reproduce and distribute their work, for example by placing it or a link to JCST on their institution's website. It can be assumed that free online articles are more highly cited because of their easier availability.
The information available to researchers will not be limited by their library's budget, and the widespread availability of articles will enhance literature searching and facilitate any analyses. The results of publicly funded research will be accessible to the public and not just those with access to a library with a subscription. As such, Open Access could help to increase public interest in, and support of, research.
