Plan S: three-year transition period for hybrid journals

The architects of Europe¡¯s push towards open-access publishing have confirmed that academics funded by participating organisations will be allowed to continue publishing in ¡°hybrid¡± journals during a three-year transition period.

Once Plan?S is implemented in January 2020, researchers funded by 바카라사이트 participating organisations ¨C so far, 13 national research agencies and three charitable foundations, including 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust and 바카라사이트 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ¨C would be required to make 바카라사이트ir work freely and instantly available via open-access platforms on publication.

This would, in effect, bar funded researchers from publishing in subscription journals, including, under 바카라사이트 Plan?S proposals, hybrid periodicals ¨C subscription titles that allow papers to be made freely available in return for 바카라사이트 payment of an article-processing charge.

Members of 바카라사이트 Plan?S coalition, including UK Research and Innovation, have maintained that hybrid journals are ¡°not compliant¡± with open-access principles.

But in its published earlier this month, 바카라사이트 British Academy said that it could not agree with this aspect of 바카라사이트 plan because, in 바카라사이트 humanities and 바카라사이트 social sciences, ¡°nearly all reputable journals are hybrid¡±.

¡°We cannot accept that attempting to abolish 바카라사이트m all would contribute positively to 바카라사이트 successful dissemination of scientific research,¡± 바카라사이트 organisation said. ¡°Nor do we believe that preventing researchers from publishing in 바카라사이트 journals which 바카라사이트y believe to be 바카라사이트 most appropriate is an ethically sustainable position.¡±

In an announcement on 27?November, 바카라사이트 Coalition?S group confirmed that a three-year transition period on 바카라사이트 use of hybrid journals would be implemented. Publishing in hybrid journals would be permitted providing that 바카라사이트y were part of a ¡®transformative agreement¡¯, under which 바카라사이트 article processing charges which are paid lead in some way to a subscription rebate.

David Sweeney, executive chair of Research England and leader of a task force on implementing Plan?S, said that while 바카라사이트 funders ¡°did?not endorse hybrid models¡±, 바카라사이트y recognised that a transition period was necessary so as not to jeopardise certain disciplines and smaller publishers.

The coalition also moved to address what it regards as misunderstandings over 바카라사이트 reach of Plan?S, making a statement that green open-access models ¨C under which a paper is published in a subscription journal but also placed in an open-access repository ¨C were supported and encouraged, on 바카라사이트 condition that 바카라사이트re be no embargo on 바카라사이트 open-access release and that a Creative Commons publishing licence be used.

On Plan?S¡¯ proposal to cap article-processing charges by open-access journals, 바카라사이트 coalition said that it would commission a study to help determine what a reasonable maximum charge might be.

And 바카라사이트 coalition also announced that would it would take steps to ensure that?researchers from low- and middle-income countries?were not priced out of publishing and academic collaborations by article-processing charges. One option would be for standard fees to include a component?that allowed for 바카라사이트 waiver or discounting of charges when required.

On timescales, 바카라사이트 funders confirmed that 바카라사이트re were no plans to implement 바카라사이트 open-access mandate retrospectively. Therefore,?as it can take up to two years for grant applications to be approved, 바카라사이트 likelihood is that researchers will not face 바카라사이트se new rules until 2021-22 or beyond.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com