Wikipedia Founder Enlisted by UK Government to Make Research Findings More Freely Available. (May 3, 2012)

Britain's science minister, David Willetts, yesterday told the Publishers Association  at its London meeting that the Coalition Government had enlisted Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales as an unpaid adviser.

According to the minister, Mr Wales is to first assist on setting up the £2 million "Gateway to Research" portal, a database which is to list researchers' public funding details as well as the results of their research.

However, he has also been coopted as an advisor on implementing open access of research publications.

Mr Willetts told his audience that under consideration would be methods to improve peer review as well as introducing tools to give post-publication feedback: "With Jimmy Wales's help, I'm confident that we can achieve all this and much more."

The minister has also  engaged the former  vice chancellor of Keele University, sociologist Janet Finch, to advisor the government on open access; her report is is expected to be tabled next month.

And the minister was blunt in addressing the publishers: "To try to preserve the old model is the wrong battle to fight, [nevertheless] it would be deeply irresponsible to get rid of one business model and not put anything in its place," which looks to be something of an each-ways bet.