Most U.S. Adults Support No-Cost Online Access To Federally Funded Medical Research, Poll Finds
More than 80% of U.S. adults say the results of federally funded research on health issues and other subjects should be available online at no cost to doctors and the general public, according to a recently released online Harris Interactive poll of 2,501 adults, the Wall Street Journal Online reports.
Eighty-one percent of respondents strongly agree or somewhat agree that access to such information would help individuals living with a chronic illness or disability in "coping with that chronic illness or disability," the poll finds. In addition, 62% of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that making research results available online at no cost would "help speed up finding potential cures for diseases," compared with 10% who disagree somewhat or strongly, according to the poll (Wall Street Journal Online, 5/31).
Seventeen percent of respondents also strongly or somewhat agree that scientific journals should publish the information and offer it to paid subscribers, rather than for free online (Wall Street Journal Online graphic, 5/31).