Biodiversity databases: Getting the data in, out, and shared

摘要

There is a rapidly growing, global move merit to encourage open access to scientific data, publications and reports. This notion began in Budapest through the Budapest Open Access Initiative in December 2001 (see http:// www. soros. org/openaccess/index. shtml). Examples of agencies that have since adopted this policy are the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Conservation Commons, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The American Museum of Natural History recently opened the door to permit free access to all its publications via their library website. Other American institutions are following suit.