(full text: http://openaccess.eprints.org/index.php?/archives/591-guid.html )

#1:   The vast majority of current (peer-reviewed) journal articles are not OA (Open Access) (neither Green OA nor Gold OA ).

#2:   The vast majority of journals are not Gold OA.

#3:   The vast majority of journals are Green OA.

#4:   The vast majority of citations are to the top minority of articles (the Pareto/Seglen 90/10 rule).

#5:   The vast majority of journals (or journal articles) are not among the top minority of journals (or journal articles).

#6:   The vast majority of the top journals are not Gold OA.

#7:   The vast majority of the top journals are Green OA.

#8:   The vast majority of article authors would comply willingly with a Green OA mandate from their institutions and/or funders.

#9:   The vast majority of institutions and funders do not yet mandate Green OA.

#10:   The vast majority of Gold OA journals are not paid-publication journals.

#11:   The vast majority of the top Gold OA journals are paid-publication journals.

#12:   The vast majority of institutions do not have the funds to subscribe to all the journals their users need.

CONCLUSION 1: The fact that the vast majority of Gold OA journals are not paid-publication journals is not relevant if we are concerned about providing OA to the articles in the top journals.

CONCLUSION 2: Green OA, mandated by institutions and funders, is the vastly underutilized means of providing OA.

IMPLICATION: It is far more productive (of OA) for universities and funders to mandate Green OA than to fund Gold OA.

Stevan Harnad
American Scientist Open Access Forum