By the time this article appears in print, individual readers and institutions with internet access in any of the 65 countries defined by the World Bank as “low income economies”1will be given free access to articles printed inThorax via the website.2

Readers wishing to take advantage of this should simply log on to theThorax website2 and the software will recognise the country of origin of the request and implement free access. A similar facility is being introduced for most of the other BMJ specialist journals.3 We hope that this service will increase the availability and use ofThorax and other BMJ journals in developing countries, and also encourage submission of papers for publication from researchers in these countries.

For some time now the BMJ group and the British Thoracic Society have provided a limited number of free paper subscriptions toThorax for hospital or university libraries in low income countries, and will continue to look sympathetically at individual applications from institutions still experiencing difficulty in accessing the internet. Applicants wishing to take advantage of this should contact Alex Williamson, BMJ Publishing Group, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR, UK.