April 27, 2012
My recent letter in ARCHAEOLOGY magazine has opened discussion concerning the AIA’s position on open access. I am personally opposed to slated government legislation on the issue. I am not against open access as a concept, however. The AIA itself already endorses open access through the extensive posting of content online, gratis, including articles and reviews from the American Journal of Archaeology, articles and interactive digs from ARCHAEOLOGY magazine, and resources for students such as field school and job placement listings.
Open access has become an increasingly important issue in academic publishing, and, as a non-profit learned society, the AIA wants to engage in the dialogue. We hope that through critical inquiry and debate we will be able to find ways to balance the interests of the public with those of our authors, our subscribers, and of the Institute itself.
–Elizabeth Bartman, President
