As educators, the contributors to this website have as their vital interest the promotion of scientific inquiry in general, and the field of Exposure Science in particular. The internet is a fantastic way to promote the free flow of ideas and especially certain fields, such as Exposure Science, that have underpinnings in a broad array of physical and social scientific disciplines. Therefore, we have joined the growing Open Access movement that seeks to enrich the lives of human beings by offering them freely-available educational and academic materials.

The best educational materials are dynamic, topical, and relevant, and, therefore, they need to be continually updated with corrections, improvements, and elements that make them more interesting to each new crop of students. Invidividual authors may not have the time or resources to create or update material as much or as often as it is needed, but a large community of people can do it very quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Also, if an author moves on or passes away, or the publisher decides to discontinue a publication, then the materials could be lost forever to the greater community. Therefore, using a license that allows for someone to make future modifications and release of the materials makes a lot of sense. The Open Source approach in developing software has been used with great success, and there is no reason why it can't also be applied in a similar area in which new and innovative content is also needed on a continual basis.

Here we list some of the many reasons why Open Access, coupled with Open Source licensing and Print on Demand (POD) publishing, is a good idea. You are welcome to suggest more!

Note: Some of the items were borrowed from the Connexions website.

• The open-access movement is really a core aspect of the internet.
• The success of the web lies in our ability to find reliable and complete information and resources quickly.
• As more and more trained professional add high-quality, reliable materials, the education value of the web rises.
• We as academics, as with our published journal articles, don't expect or desire to make money from books. Our desire is to create and spread knowledge.
• Academics are funded through grants and teaching, unlike publishers who need a profit to survive
• We have a small but growing field with a growing audience, big publishers may not be interested
• The Initial market is ourselves and our immediate colleagues, a community of researchers and instructors
• We can handle initial marketing to our colleages
• Free or low-cost materials stimulate learning around the world
• Free or low-cost materials stimulate cross-discplinary research
• Books can be printed inexpensively through on-demand printing services
• Expensive books can be prohitive for students and self-learners
• Colleagues can download the book free
• Students can download the book free
• Self-learners from around the world can download the book for free
• Anyone can download the book for free
• Anyone can buy an inexpensive hardbound version of the book, which is printed and delivered "on demand"
• Takes advantage of web searching, students primary resource is the web
• Important updates are available immediately on the web
• Modeling and Applied work, and problem-based courseware, is constently growing and changing and needs frequent editions and updates, the web and open-access are conducive to this situation (no need to pay more money for the latest edition).
• With Creative Commons Licensing, material can be corrected and updated by anyone, and redistributed to those who will benefit from up to date materials
• No copyright issues for reuse, using Creative Commons License
• Low cost of hardbound materials
• A great many open-source graphics and clip-art under Creative Commons license are available to use free of charge
• Sell books with "on-demand" technology, only printing books when they are ordered
• Avoid backlogs and surpluses
• Free "on-demand" open-source books are more likely to reach a larger audience, generate a larger community of users and contributors, and stay error-free, current, and up to date, than traditional closed books.
• For course materials that are constantly being adapted and improved, an open source framework is almost indispensible
• Perceived issues with open source books are that "unless something costs money, no one will think it is any good". This is refuted by the use of much open-source software, indeed this software is currently used to run most of the internet as we know it. Also, if a professor wants to use a book for his class and says that it will be "free", I highly doubt that the students are going to complain.
• The immediate audience for a problem-based book is "US". As it grows and becomes more useful and, hopefully, gains prestige, people will use it whether it is free or not. The paradigm of publishing is changing, with more and more educators opting to provide open source materials for their students. The traditional publisher is a "middle man" that is no longer required to get the needed materals to student. Indeed, the prohibitive prices and copyright aggreements in traditional publishing severely hinder the ability of all student and self-learners to access important materisl and to allow the resuse of educational materials in classrooms and future curricula.
• Important: Open source materials can be reused by educators around the globe with no copyright fees or additional expenses. They can develop custom curricula by mixing and matching the best "modules" for their own courses. This is not possible with traditional publishing, which imposes draconian limitations on the use of source materials that may "compete" with the original work.
• It is not in our interest as educators to impose unnecessary limits on who can and cannot use our work. Our sole interest is to advance our respective fields and to encourage and educate new students, regardless of their geographic region and socioeconomic class. We should desire the widest possible distribution of our work, while retaining authorship and attribution of our contributions.