It is commonplace for supporters of open access to appeal to notions of "the public good" in order to justify renovating the scholarly communication system. What exactly does it mean to be campaigning for open access from the normative stance of the public good, and has anyone asked “the public” what they think? This presentation will detail the results of a PhD dissertation that asked people about their experience with and access to humanities and social science research in Canada. The research results led to the creation of a theory of knowledge flow that emphasizes reflexivity and reciprocity in the communication of knowledge, and the conclusion that open access to research is not only a way to expedite knowledge flow, but also a methodological imperative for social sciences and humanities scholars especially. This fills a gap in the open access literature by addressing the reasons for the slower uptake of open access publishing in the humanities and social sciences. It also provides arguments based on the concept of the double hermeneutic and the obligation these scholars have to improve communication with the object of their inquiry - that is, society.
