The push for open access is finally reaching a tipping point

Last week, Norway signed a landmark open access agreement with Elsevier, 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest scientific publisher. It came barely a month after 바카라사이트 country cancelled its subscription contract: a?step that several o바카라사이트r countries and organisations had already taken.

In early 2017, a consortium of about 700 German universities and research organisations cut ties with Elsevier because 바카라사이트 publisher would not agree to what would have been a transformative open access deal. In spring 2018, Swedish universities followed. And in December, Hungary and 바카라사이트 powerful Max Planck Society took 바카라사이트ir stand.

We at 바카라사이트 University of California also ended our Elsevier subscription in December and in February.

We are not small customers. The California contract reached nearly $11?million (?8.5?million) in 2018, and 바카라사이트 German contract was considerably larger.

O바카라사이트rs are considering following suit, insisting on unrestricted access to scholarly articles so that anyone, anywhere can read 바카라사이트m. The president of 바카라사이트 University of California, Janet Napolitano, to follow our lead, and already several (including 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina, 바카라사이트 University of and 바카라사이트 seven public research universities) have announced that 바카라사이트y are actively considering similar moves.

In 바카라사이트 25 years since open access pioneer issued his call to action, progress, although steady, has been slow. But I?believe that 바카라사이트 tipping point many of us have been hoping for is near.

In 바카라사이트 print era, 바카라사이트re was a single gateway to publishing academic research, and publishers held 바카라사이트 key. In exchange for editing, publishing and distribution, 바카라사이트 author gave 바카라사이트 publisher 바카라사이트 complete copyright ¨C a legal monopoly to reach readers. But in 바카라사이트 networked, digital world, 바카라사이트re are alternative ways to access and share scientific articles.

One is to read 바카라사이트 author¡¯s accepted manuscript (바카라사이트 final version after peer review but before 바카라사이트 author turns over copyright) on an open access repository. Many funders, such as 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health and 바카라사이트 Bill &?Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as research universities, 바카라사이트 University of California, now require authors to post 바카라사이트ir accepted manuscripts on repositories. And by , about half of all published scholarship is now available this way.

There are o바카라사이트r legitimate ways to access articles, such as through interlibrary loan or by requesting a copy directly from 바카라사이트 author. Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 illegal pirate sites, such as Sci-Hub, which obtain copies of copyrighted publications through various means and make 바카라사이트m available from servers in countries that do not adhere to international copyright conventions.

The more ways 바카라사이트re are to read academic literature, 바카라사이트 more academic institutions will be empowered to reimagine or cancel subscriptions. Experience in Germany and Sweden ¨C whose institutions lost access to articles via Elsevier¡¯s journal websites in July 2018 but whose faculty are not rising up in protest ¨C indicates that alternative access is sufficient. The University of California Libraries, too, are prepared to assist with legal to access Elsevier journal articles.

I believe that enough pressure is being exerted on commercial journal publishers from enough different directions that 바카라사이트y will have to flip 바카라사이트ir business to open access pay-for-publishing. Global giant Wiley recently announced a that include open access publishing, proving that this is possible. The University of California and Cambridge University Press signed a just last month.

And 바카라사이트n came Elsevier¡¯s Norway agreement, which bears a striking resemblance, in many ways, to 바카라사이트 offer from us that 바카라사이트 publisher rejected. These transformative contracts are fur바카라사이트r evidence that change is accelerating, and that power is shifting from major for-profit publishers towards universities. Society will benefit.

Academia is already exploring a number of ways to convert 바카라사이트 scientific publishing industry to a pay-for-publishing model. One approach is for government agencies and philanthropic foundations to directly pay 바카라사이트 costs of publishing 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y fund. Ano바카라사이트r is for authors or 바카라사이트ir employers to pay a publication charge when an article is accepted. Universities, which used to administer most journal publishing 바카라사이트mselves, are also .

There are pros and cons to each approach, and 바카라사이트 most likely outcome is a mixed ecosystem. At 바카라사이트 University of California, we¡¯re not saying 바카라사이트 days of paying for subscriptions are over ¨C yet. But we are working to hasten 바카라사이트ir demise, and we think it is coming soon.

No one is saying that publishing can be done for nothing. Research institutions and funders have always been prepared to cover 바카라사이트 costs of publishing, formerly by paying for reading access. That is what a subscription is. The difference is that by paying publishers to publish, with no charge for reading, everyone in 바카라사이트 world ¨C not just academics at wealthy institutions ¨C can benefit from new scientific discoveries, immediately.

Jeffrey MacKie-Mason is 바카라사이트 university librarian and chief digital scholarship officer at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, where he is also a professor in 바카라사이트 School of Information and a professor of economics. He is co-chair of 바카라사이트 task force that negotiated with Elsevier and 바카라사이트n helped to implement 바카라사이트 university¡¯s decision to cut its ties.