To obtain a research grant, the Swedish Research Council now requires researchers to publish their material so as to make it available to all. The public and other researchers should have free access to all material financed by public means.

The thought behind so-called Open Access is that everyone should have free and unrestricted access to scientifically assessed articles. The Research Council has now determined that researchers granted funds by the Authority should publish their scientifically assessed texts in journals and from conferences in this manner.

";We consider that publication of research which has been paid for out of public funds should be made freely accessible to all";, says Professor Pär Omling, Director General of the Research Council. Open Access is an important condition if research results are to be disseminated for the benefit of society.

Researchers will have to guarantee that publications are available according to Open Access within a maximum period of six months.

The Research Council's approach as regards Open Access was developed in close collaboration with SUHF, which represents the country's higher education institutions. Seeking the free dissemination of research results is no isolated Swedish phenomenon either.

The so-called Berlin Declaration, which involves a declaration of intent to strive for Open Access, has been signed by several principal mainly European research funding agencies. 

The Open-Access rules apply so far only to scientifically assessed texts in journals and conference reports, and not to monographs and chapters of books.

The requirement will apply to the Research Council's advertisements from the turn of the year 2010.