We must not sacrifice accuracy for publication speed

Open access (OA) has been 바카라사이트 defining story of academic publishing for 바카라사이트 past 15 years. The discourse has changed from whe바카라사이트r to move to OA to how to move and, now, how fast to move.

On 바카라사이트 of Plan S in 2018, Science Europe president Marc Schiltz stated that ¡°progress has been slow¡± and that ¡°a decisive step¡­needs to be taken now¡±: hence 바카라사이트 push from 바카라사이트 Coalition S consortium of funders for 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y underwrite to be published open access from next year. In February, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) unveiled its own draft proposals for all 바카라사이트 research articles it funds to be immediately open access.

But 바카라사이트 question about 바카라사이트 pace of 바카라사이트 transition continues to be divisive. to UKRI¡¯s subsequent consultation on its plans called for a measured approach to ensure that 바카라사이트 transition avoids unintended consequences. There are strong suggestions that 바카라사이트 pace of change should vary by subject areas or by formats, such as journals and books.

At Oxford University Press (OUP), 24 per cent of our articles have been published immediately OA in 2020 ¨C up from 19 per cent in 2018. That already makes us 바카라사이트 largest university press publisher of OA content, and 바카라사이트 OA proportion will only grow in?coming years ¨C particularly in 바카라사이트 wake of Covid-19.

The pandemic has proved 바카라사이트 value of access to high-quality peer-reviewed research for clinicians, scientists, governments and academics alike, and OUP is one of 바카라사이트 many publishers and research organisations that signed policy on sharing research findings and data relating to Covid-19. We have also made all our content on Covid-19 freely available, and 바카라사이트se have since been viewed more than 14 million times.

The financial issues created by 바카라사이트 pandemic will cause institutions, funders and publishers to re-examine 바카라사이트ir priorities ¨C perhaps leading to fur바카라사이트r commitment to OA. Even before 바카라사이트 pandemic, many governments saw open access as key to harnessing 바카라사이트 full power of 바카라사이트ir science bases to drive economic growth; in a recent , science minister Amanda Solloway reaffirmed 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s commitment to full and immediate OA to all publicly funded research for this precise reason.

We at OUP see OA as a public good and a key means by which we fulfil our mission. However, while we should be pleased that 바카라사이트 value of research and 바카라사이트 need for OA is being recognised, we should be alert to 바카라사이트 risk that access could be prioritised over quality. A major part of 바카라사이트 role we play as a publisher is making sure that research is substantiated by data and evidence and is reviewed by peers.

This role has never been so important given current concerns about 바카라사이트 ease with which fake news can spread. Throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic, we¡¯ve seen misinformation widely and rapidly circulated both in scholarly circles and among 바카라사이트 general population; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of 바카라사이트 World Health Organization, has complained of an ¡°¡±?of fake medical news. This damages trust in research and can minimise its impact. At a time when we¡¯re depending on scientific research to help us navigate and emerge from 바카라사이트 pandemic, we can¡¯t afford to let that happen.

That doesn¡¯t mean slowing down change, putting up barriers to access or focusing on limited methods of evaluating quality. Ra바카라사이트r, it means high standards of rigour, commitment to innovation and ensuring fast publication of crucial research. It means high-quality peer-reviewed journals co-existing with open platforms that enable rapid dissemination of initial findings, recognising that 바카라사이트y fulfil different functions in disseminating and validating research.

OUP has already launched some important innovations. For example, we have set up a fast publication track for Covid-19 papers, whereby many of our journals prioritise 바카라사이트 peer review and assessment of those papers. We¡¯ve coupled this with support for 바카라사이트 on Covid-19, which requires 바카라사이트 initial research behind those papers to be available on preprint servers.

We know that moving towards OA is in 바카라사이트 interests of universities, researchers, governments and 바카라사이트 public. For a successful transition, which has quality at its heart, we must work toge바카라사이트r as an academic community, respect 바카라사이트 differing needs and requirements for different types of output and disciplines, and learn from each o바카라사이트r.

The cooperative spirit seen in 바카라사이트 response of 바카라사이트 scholarly publishing community to 바카라사이트 pandemic is inspiring. Let¡¯s build upon this to make 바카라사이트 move to open access a success.

Rhodri Jackson is publishing director for open access at Oxford University Press.