Abstract
Unrestricted, open access to scholarly scientific literature provides an opportunity for chemistry educators to go beyond the textbook, introducing students to the real work of scientists. Despite the best efforts of textbook authors to provide information about recent research results, textbooks are not a substitute for learning to use the primary literature. Chemical educators can use open access articles to develop research-related skills, to foster curiosity, and to cultivate the next generation of scientists. It is becoming increasingly important for chemical educators to teach undergraduates how online journals are changing the nature of chemical research. Some institutions can not afford online subscription costs, and open access journals can be an important resource to provide practical experience. Open access publications eliminate the barriers to the central work of scientists providing chemistry educators (whether at well-endowed or economically limited colleges) with the key resources for enhancing student learning through current, relevant research.
Highlights
The nature of the chemical literature is changing more rapidly than probably at any previous time in history
Pence and Pence have described the use of Real Simple Syndication (RSS) [26] and social tagging for teaching chemistry [27], and the available open access resources may be less extensive than those used in these projects, it is likely that these methods could be adapted to the open access literature
Open access peer-reviewed journals provide the means for chemistry educators, regardless of institutional resources, to introduce undergraduate students to the primary literature and to promote higher level cognitive skills by integrating primary scientific literature into the curriculum
Summary
The nature of the chemical literature is changing more rapidly than probably at any previous time in history. Several major U.S universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Harvard University, Columbia University, and the University of California at Berkeley, are supporting the Compact for Open Access Publishing Equity, or COPE, which provides funds to subsidize the publication fees charged by some open-access journals Despite this support, few faculty researchers seem willing to participate in this program [23]. Pence and Pence have described the use of Real Simple Syndication (RSS) [26] and social tagging for teaching chemistry [27], and the available open access resources may be less extensive than those used in these projects, it is likely that these methods could be adapted to the open access literature These programs can be adapted by chemistry educators for integrating open access scholarly articles into the chemistry curriculum at the college and even the secondary level. Open access research articles provide an opportunity for chemistry educators to stay current in their field and to incorporate cutting-edge research into their curriculum
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