About the Berlin Open Access Conference
The history of the Berlin Declaration
In 2003, a landmark meeting organised by the Max Planck Society and the European Cultural Heritage Online project brought together international experts with the aim of developing a new web-based research environment using the Open Access paradigm as a mechanism for having scientific knowledge and cultural heritage accessible worldwide.
As a result of the meeting, leading international research, scientific, and cultural institutions issued and signed: The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, a document that outlines concrete steps to promote the Internet as a medium for disseminating global knowledge.
The Berlin Declaration builds on the widely accepted Budapest Open Access Initiative, which calls for the results of research produced by authors without expectation of payment to be made widely available on the Internet, and to carry permissions necessary for users to use and re-use results in a way that accelerates the pace of scholarship and research.
The Berlin Open Access Conference Series
In order to support continued adoption of the principles outlined in the Berlin Declaration, as well as to track progress on their implementation, the original signatories agreed to support regular follow-up meetings. As a result, Berlin Open Access conferences have been convened annually since 2004. The conference series now takes place in locations around the world; to date Germany, Switzerland, England, Italy, France, China and – most recently – the USA – have hosted this prestigious gathering.
The upcoming Berlin 10 Open Access Conference will mark the first such meeting to take place in Africa. The meeting will be held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre, Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 6 - 8 November 2012.
The Conference is an international forum, and this year’s location provides a unique opportunity for African organisations to fully participate in shaping the program and ensure a lively, inclusive, and productive conference.
Berlin 10 is being organised by representatives from the science, humanities, research, funding and policy communities.
Please check the website links below for more information about previous conferences.
