On 4 September 2018, a group of national research funding organisations, with the support of the European Commission and the European Research Council (ERC), announced the launch of cOAlition S, an initiative to make full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality. The initiative, designed by Robert Jan-Smits, the Open Access Envoy of the European Commission, requires immediate open access to all scientific publications resulting from the funding organisations’ support effective 1 January 2020.
This announcement has triggered a wide-ranging debate over how best to accelerate the shift to open, with several more funders, including the Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, joining the 11 founding members. Over recent weeks our Director, Rob Johnson, has offered some advice on the Plan’s implications, and how different stakeholders should respond. This blog highlights four useful resources for understanding what Plan S means for scholarly communication.
An Introduction to the Plan S Debate
- Article for The Open Scholarship Initiative (OSI), An overview of the Plan S debate This article provides a succinct overview of the Plan S debate. The summary discusses the ten core principles of Plan S, the individuals behind it and the drivers which led to the decision. The impact that Plan S has had on the academic community is also reviewed. There is a specific focus on the implications for publishers, institutions and libraries making the shift to open.
- Webinar for The Copyright Clearance Centre (CCC), Open Access Webinar For a 30-minute crash-course in Open Access (OA), listen to this webinar for the Copyright Clearance Centre. This conversation offers some interesting insights about Plan S including an introduction to its key principles, the origins and motivations of the initiative, and finally a discussion of what Plan S means for publishers.
Advice for Publishers
- Article for Publishers Weekly, 5 takeaway points for publishers Based on first-hand feedback from three publishing executives, this article provides 5 key pieces of advice for publishers looking to make the shift to open access. The article helps publishers to understand the impact of Plan S on their businesses, and highlights flexibility and communication as two key attributes which help to deal with the transition to Open Access.
The Future of Scholarly Communication
- Pre-print, From coalition to commons: Plan S and the future of scholarly communication This pre-print offers an academic analysis of Plan S, its requirements and its implications for a variety of actors. The article offers a critical evaluation of the initiative from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Here, Rob provides some advice for the successful implementation of Plan S in the continuously evolving research landscape.
Moving Forward
As Plan S continues its expansion, the debate also endures. Research Consulting will continue to monitor developments throughout the landscape and assess their implications.
For regular Open Access updates, follow Rob and the Research Consulting team on Twitter.
