Cut the crap: it's personal!

Abstract

Unfortunately, most of us know loved ones who suffer from chronic, and life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Annually, billions of dollars are spent in order to discover a cure for such medical conditions. AUT postgraduate students have also contributed to this global crusade when their research, carried out as part of a thesis, uncovers findings that might be vital to the discovery of such cures.

By embargoing their theses, however, and thus not making these discoveries publicly available, our postgraduate students contradict the primary objective of helping to eradicate disease and serious illness. Embargoing theses at AUT, especially those researching chronic and life-threatening diseases, must be stopped, and we must make this a personal objective in our capacity as librarians.