As Open Access Is Public Access, Can Journals Help Policymakers Read Research?

A study was conducted with 13 federal policymakers in Canada of a "Research Support Tool" intended to assist readers of open access research articles online to build a context for their reading. Interviews were conducted as the policymakers were introduced to this tool that would form part of the publishing environment for journal articles. The study found a growing interest among policymakers in the use of online and especially open access research. The tool proved helpful in providing access to author background, related studies, and relevant media stories, but posed real challenges to the users in design, intent, and the fairness of the databases it drew on in offering readers a greater context for the article they were reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]