Scientific results should be made freely available to the public within six months of first publication, according to Sir Mark Walport, the director of the Wellcome Trust.

Non-complying researchers may find the grant-making body is much less keen to fund their research in future, which is one way of trying to bring about cultural change.

The Wellcome Trust statement has caused a flurry of news headlines, tweets and blog posts. The Australian weighed in after the Guardian published the story, possibly coining a new phrase - the 'academic spring'.

The Trust is also about to launch its own open access journal, eLife, in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Max Planck Society.