Berlin 2, Genf 2004

Steps Toward Implementation of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities

The first in a series of 6-monthly follow-up meetings on the implementation of the recommendations in the Berlin Declaration signatories committed themselves to take actions within their organizations, to strengthen open access. The principal aim of this meeting was to discuss the steps that institutions must take in order to implement these actions. The intention was to keep the momentum and enthusiasm of the Berlin conference held in October 2003. Lectures on key aspects of implementation, such as copyright law, and reports on the steps that signatories have taken so far were delivered. The heart of the meeting was a series of working groups devoted to formulating realistic action plans that can assist all signatories to move further toward the goals of the Declaration.

CERN offered to host the meeting to combine the event with a signing ceremony of the Berlin Declaration, in which CERN as one of the most distinguished research institutions in Europe and cradle of the WorldWideWeb has joined the Berlin process.

The organization of the meeting was coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), founder of the Living Reviews family of e-journals.

The central outcome of the meeting has been a (Roadmap) with concrete implementation steps to open access.

Program Committee

Jürgen Renn
Max Planck Institute for History of Science
& WSIS Civil Society “Scientific Information” working goup

Robert Schlögl
Fritz Haber Institut of the Max Planck Society

Bernard Schutz
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics

Theresa Velden
Heinz Nixdorf Center for Information Management in the Max Planck Society