Open Access Policy Implementation : First Results Compared

Open Access policy implementation is a tough job. Policy pioneers have faced considerable challenges in meeting their own aims and achieving recognized success. Professionals charged with implementing policy typically need several years to accomplish significant progress. This is a study of first results from a small but significant number of cases with an emphasis on variety and on defining a methodological standard. All cases have been reconstructed through documents and interviews. The most salient issues of policy implementation are investigated comparatively, namely a) the matching infrastructure that a policy requires; b) the issue of capturing content and scholarly compliance; c) how to provide access to the content and foster usage; d) and the benefits offered to authors. As the author is pivotal to any open access solution, this provides a comparative perspective for delineating a policy research agenda