I’ve long hated how I can’t access JSTOR , and IEEE and a host of other publications. I was spoiled by EEE and College of \u00a0Engineering by providing free access to IEEE. Hope the other important journals follow suit,
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Economic Research Wants to Be Free
\nPost by: Justin Wolfers
\nMarch 22, 2011 at 9:30 am
\nPhoto: istockphoto
\nHere\u2019s a test of basic economic literacy: What is the socially optimal price of online access to economics journal articles?
\nIf my students learn only one thing, it\u2019s this: Price equals marginal cost. And the marginal cost of accessing a journal article is pretty much zero. The research has been written, the type has been set, and the salaries have already been paid \u2014 usually thanks to a university, think tank, or government grant. So the socially optimal price is: free.\u00a0 Every time we charge a price higher than this, we risk pricing out someone who might benefit from the insights of an academic scribbler.
\nThe Brookings Papers on Economic Activity \u2013\u00a0the journal that David Romer and I edit \u2014 has decided to take this piece of economic wisdom seriously. The Brookings Papers are now entirely open access. Yep, we\u2019re charging zero; nada; nothing; zip.
\nFolks in the ivory tower have always had access to the archives through JSTOR, but now you\u2019ll also have access to the most recent volumes. Going open access though is really about providing access to many of the folks who read this blog. Previously, congressional staffers, journalists, think-tankers, private-sector economists, or any variety of policy wonk \u2014 or even just folks for whom keeping up with economic debates is a passion, but not a profession \u2014 had limited access to academic research. Now, it\u2019s online, and free.
\nvia Freakonomics \u00bb Economic Research Wants to Be Free<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I’ve long hated how I can’t access JSTOR , and IEEE and a host of other publications. I was spoiled by EEE and College of \u00a0Engineering by providing free access to IEEE. Hope the other important journals follow suit, Economic Research Wants to Be Free Post by: Justin Wolfers March 22, 2011 at 9:30 … <\/p>\n