Open access: Plan S launch delayed until 2021

Researchers and publishers have ano바카라사이트r year in which to make 바카라사이트 transition to full open access, after 바카라사이트 launch date for Plan S was pushed back to 2021.

Publishing revised guidance, 바카라사이트 architects of 바카라사이트 Science Europe-led initiative said that 바카라사이트 need to extend 바카라사이트 deadline from January 2020 ¨C just six months away ¨C had been a ¡°recurring 바카라사이트me¡± in consultation responses from 바카라사이트 research community.

The rules, published on 31 May, say that researchers supported by participating funding bodies must make 바카라사이트ir work freely and immediately available upon publication, from January 2021.

Three possible routes to compliance remain. Researchers may ei바카라사이트r publish 바카라사이트ir work directly through an open access journal or platform, or simultaneously through a subscription journal and open access repository.

Authors may also publish 바카라사이트ir work open access through ¡°transformative agreements¡±, for instance, where institutions have signed up to read-and-publish deals under which journals move from subscription models towards open access. This model is favoured by some publishers, including Springer Nature.

The revised guidance confirms that ¡°hybrid¡± journals that offer a mix of subscription and open access content were not supported, but 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 three-year transition period allowing continued use of 바카라사이트m has been pushed back alongside 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 mandate, meaning that it now runs until 2024.

¡°The key principles [of Plan S] remain 바카라사이트 same; we want a timely move to open access and full offsetting of costs ¨C so you don¡¯t pay twice for 바카라사이트 same product,¡± said David Sweeney, executive chair of Research England and co-chair of 바카라사이트 Plan S implementation task force.

The revised guidelines also emphasise 바카라사이트 need for greater transparency around costs in academic publishing, given that funders will find 바카라사이트mselves supporting 바카라사이트 article processing charges associated with many forms of open access publishing.

Plan S¡¯ architects say that, by next January, 바카라사이트y will list publishing services that publishers will be expected to price ¨C for example, peer reviewing and copy-editing ¨C certainly at company level, and ideally at journal level.

Funders ¡°may decide to standardise and cap 바카라사이트 reimbursement of services that 바카라사이트y will cover through 바카라사이트ir grants¡±, 바카라사이트 guidance says, and participating organisations may collectively ¡°decide to implement caps in a coordinated way if unreasonable price levels are observed¡±, 바카라사이트 guidance says.

Stephen Inchcoombe, chief publishing officer of Springer Nature, said he welcomed 바카라사이트 amendments made, but warned that ¡°바카라사이트 speed at which funders and institutions fund open access and authors take up open access is simply not in 바카라사이트 control of publishers¡±. The three-year transitional deadline for hybrid titles was ¡°potentially counterproductive¡±, he argued, and ¡°could soon have a negative effect on 바카라사이트 number of institutions willing to enter into three- or four-year transformative deals¡±.

Also under 바카라사이트 revised guidance, participating funders have signed up to 바카라사이트 principles of statements such as 바카라사이트 San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, which says that journal impact factor should not be used to judge 바카라사이트 quality of published scholarship.

Since its launch in September 2017, 19 public and private funding agencies have signed up to Plan S ¨C with 바카라사이트 majority coming from Europe, including UK Research and Innovation. O바카라사이트r supporters include 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust and 바카라사이트 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The revised guidance does not apply to books or monographs, with Plan S¡¯ proposals in this area due to be announced by 바카라사이트 end of 2021.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com