Consultation on the cOAlition S “Towards Responsible Publishing” proposal

Research Consulting and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) were commissioned to determine to what extent the vision, mission and objectives set out in the “Towards Responsible Publishing” (TRP) proposal serve the needs of the global research community. Through a consultative approach that reached over 11,000 research stakeholders via surveys, focus groups and other feedback mechanisms, we sought to assess whether there is appetite for the type of change proposed by cOAlition S.

In addition, we aimed to (i) understand how the TRP proposal may be modified or refined to ensure it resonates with the research community and sees broad adoption; (ii) identify any showstoppers or unintended consequences and propose proactive measures to mitigate them, ensuring successful implementation; and (iii) ascertain whether the existing scholarly communication infrastructure can support this proposal and if not, identify where research funders can strengthen the infrastructure.

Our final report, which is complemented by an interactive dashboard and additional supporting information (see link), provides prioritised recommendations for cOAlition S, including the need to develop a strategy that provides more implementation details and outlines how funders and other stakeholders can deliver on the ambitions set out in the TRP proposal.